'Who is this?' - Ancelotti plays coy on Rudiger links as Chelsea defender nears Real Madrid deal

Carlo Ancelotti dodged questions about the potential signing of Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger as the Real Madrid boss briefly pretended not to know who the defender is.

Rudiger has reached a verbal agreement to join Madrid this summer, with his Chelsea career set to come to an end once his contract expires at the end of the season.

But, when quizzed about the potential signing, Ancelotti played coy before saying he didn't feel comfortable talking about a player that is not at the club currently.

"Toni Rudiger? Toni who? Who’s this?" Ancelotti said with a laugh when asked by beIN Sports.

"He's still a Chelsea player. I can’t say anything about this."

The defender's contract is set to expire this season and, with the club still in a bit of limbo due to the ownership situation, Chelsea will be unable to re-sign him.

Rudiger certainly has his share of suitors, with Manchester United, Barcelona and Juventus interested, while PSG and Bayern Munich also previously made offers.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel all but acknowledged his departure, but says Rudiger will remain a key piece for the club right up until the day he leaves.

"He has no doubts and has made no doubts about it, he will play until the end of the season with everything he has," Tuchel said after his side's 1-0 win over West Ham.

"This is what he did from day one, and it's what he will do until the last minute. I am 100 per cent sure."