Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has hinted that his sole focus is on playing matter only with the Blues amid continued Real Madrid and Juventus links.
Rudiger's future has been the talk of many fans over the past few months, with the German being one of three defenders who could still walk out of the door on a free transfer if his contract demands aren't met.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen are the other two players linked to the Stamford Bridge exit doors and football.london understands that there is a high chance as it stands that some of the trio do depart this summer.
The likes of Jules Kounde, Niklas Sule and Matthijs De Ligt amongst others have been linked to a potential west London summer move if any of the defenders were to leave on a free.
Recently, Barcelona have been linked with a move for Azpilicueta whilst Bayern Munich and a host of Serie A clubs are keeping an eye on the peculiar Christensen situation.
For Chelsea's No.2, Real Madrid and Juventus are the main two options on the table- the latter of the two reportedly could hand the Blues a massive advantage in their pursuit of De Ligt.
However, there is a growing feeling that talks are more back on track for the former Roma man in comparison to the other two defenders whose futures remain more uncertain as the days go on.
football.london understands that Rudiger and his representatives are demanding close to £200,000-per-week in his next contract, and there is a belief that a compromise of £180,000 could be agreed upon.
With Tuchel's blossoming relationship with a player he wanted during his Paris Saint-Germain days, there is a chance that Christensen and Azpilicueta could be sacrificed in order for sole focus to be put on securing Rudiger's long-term future at Stamford Bridge.
"I don't know if it helps if I take him out for a lot of coffees, it might even push him out! I don't feel he needs a lot of coffees with me. He is a guy who needs to trust you. He needs to feel the connection and trust. He needs to feel it by minutes and actions," Tuchel joked before the Chesterfield game last month.
"I don't feel Toni needs a lot of words, coffee talks or invitations for dinners or whatever. He is a top professional. This is what he proves and nothing has changed. The talks are in good hands. I trust the club 100%, trust in the player and it is a no problem situation for me.
"Also, Toni can still deliver, he did a fantastic match in a back four. He is super reliable. Nothing has changed, the points of view haven't changed and once something changes. You will be the first to know."
With transfer talk now not on the back burner until later in the season, all focus is now on finishing the season in the strongest sense with the European champions still going well in the FA Cup and Champions League, coupled with the fact they have a chance to win a competition they've never won before in the form of the Club World Cup.
Ahead of this crunch period which also involves trying to resurrect a potential Premier League title bid, Rudiger has sent a message to supporters on social media.
On his Instagram account @tonirudiger, the defender posted a compilation of his best performances with the caption 'hustle' in a bid to show people where his focus lies at the moment.
A positive message from a central defender known to many as 'Rudi.'
Chelsea fans will certainly hope he can pick up where he left off from when Tuchel's side return to footballing action after the international break this weekend against Plymouth Argyle.
