The latest player to be linked to Chelsea this summer is Antonio Rudiger. A German centre back who is equally capable at right back and prides himself on his aggressive style of play. Standing at 6 foot 3 inches, he’s tall and athletic, often relying heavily on his physical qualities which becomes very noticeable when he plays. Last season Jose Mourinho had only three central defenders, Terry, Cahill and Zouma. With John Terry not getting any younger, the Portuguese tactician will be looking to find a suitable successor and has earmarked Rudiger as a possible target.
According to James Cambridge of the Express, Rudiger is also keen on the move, asking his brother and his agent to put together a deal to get the big man a transfer to the desirable English capital. Wolfsburg and Porto are also interested in the player, yet current Premier League champions Chelsea will be an extremely sought after destination for many players, however for Rudiger, it seems Chelsea want the same thing.
Starting his professional career at Borussia Dortmund at the age of 15, the young defender born in Berlin to a German father and a Sierra Leonean mother honed his skills for 3 years before signing for Stuttgart in 2011 where he believed his chances for first team football would be better. He spent his first season playing for Stuttgart’s 2nd team recording 21 appearances, his efforts didn’t go unnoticed as it didn’t take long for him to get his debut for the first team on the 29th of January 2012. The next season, he stepped up into the spotlight, at 20 years old and became a full time first team member registering 30 appearances in the German top flight division.
Playing at every youth level from u18 upwards for the German national team, Rudiger made his debut for the German senior national team on the 13th of May against Poland, keeping a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw. He has now played 6 times for his national team and has not looked back.
Last season Antonio (Red) played 18 times and below is in comparison to Chelsea legend John Terry (Blue) through the use of Squawka’s comparison tool.
It’s evident that the Stuttgart centre back will need to work on his aerial duals and total duals if he wants to make it at Chelsea under Mourinho though, as Kurt Zouma has had to do this season. However it’s clear to see the difference he makes to a team, for example, last season he got injured in December and spent four months out, only to return and drag his club out of the relegation zone and finish in 14th position. Without the return of the giant defender, it would have been extremely likely he’d be contracted to a team in the second tier of German football.
The 22-year-old admitted in an interview with Bild that he rejected a move to Monaco last summer told them that his ideal destination would be Arsenal. With Petr Cech fresh from leaving Chelsea to join the Gunners, Chelsea fans will be hoping to gain some bragging rights by stealing a march on Arsenal by signing the powerful defender.
Tall and quick is a short way of describing the centre back, comfortable in possession and has all the physical requirements to become a leading defender in the Premier League. A bit like Kurt Zouma, he may need some guiding though as he’s slightly raw still and can be quite rash with decisions, prone to losing his concentration at times which can sometimes put his team in situations they’d rather not be in.
His anticipation and reading of play will be something that Jose will be able to teach him. Zouma is a prime example of a player who needed that extra guidance and this season his progression has been impeccable. Rudiger’s aggression is visible when he’s marking a player during a game, often using his physical presence to bully the opposing striker, which can work in his favour the majority of the time, however against more experienced strikers, this method of defending may need calming down a little as he’s been known to give away unneeded free-kicks at times.
Passing is one of his stronger attributes, completing 83.4% of his passes last season. He’s comfortable stepping out of defence and playing balls forward to the more attacking players. This is proven by his 77% success rate with forward passes, this statistic bodes well for him as in John Terry, Chelsea have an extremely gifted defender who’s passing range and completion has always been spot on.
If Chelsea were to sign the strong and agile defender, they’d have the perfect manager to guide him to reach his potential. Joachim Low has been quoted saying “He’s another Jerome Boateng, just because they’re so alike. He’s been one of our strongest defenders in training and that’s why he’s playing.” If this analogy were to be proven true, Chelsea would have a top defender on their books and with Zouma beside him, Stamford Bridge would be a nightmare destination for visiting teams.
