Antonio Rudiger is reportedly set to announce his next club "in a matter of days" in a bitter blow to his current side Chelsea.
The Blues had offered the German defender £230,000-a-week offer from Chelsea before the club's owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government. The offer would have made Rudiger the club's highest-paid defender but the contract was turned down by the Germany international.
The player is now reportedly ready to announce his next move as he will become a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the season. It comes as Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has spoken about Declan Rice's transfer fee after the midfielder snubbed West Ham's latest contract offer.
Here are Mirror Football's latest Chelsea headlines.
Have Your Say! Will Chelsea miss Antonio Rudiger next season ? Tell us here.
Tuchel makes Rice claim
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted the club may not be able to afford to bring West Ham's Declan Rice back to the club this summer.
Rice played for the Chelsea academy side but was let go before he could break through into the first-team set-up. But after moving to London rivals West Ham, Rice has become one of the best midfielders in the world and is a mainstay in the England team.
Reports have linked him with a move away from the London Stadium this summer, however, with Manchester United and Chelsea rumoured to be interested in signing him. But Tuchel has distanced his club from a potential move by insisting he may be "out of our league".
Rudiger offer
Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger rejected an offer to become the club's best-paid defender before sanctions were placed on the club's owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government.
The sanctions mean that the club has to operate under a special license and cannot process any financial transactions – meaning no new contracts can be signed. That has made keeping hold of Rudiger more challenging for the Stamford Bridge outfit, with his contract at the club set to expire at the end of the season.
Rudiger received the contract offer well before the sanctions were imposed on Abramovich but the deal was not agreed and he now appears set to leave the club.
Rudiger to announce next club
Antonio Rudiger will decide on who he will sign for once his Chelsea contract expires this week, it has been reported.
Chelsea now appear set to lose both Rudiger and Andreas Christensen when their contracts expire at the end of the season, with the Dane looking set to join Barcelona. The likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are now said to be in the frame to sign Rudiger, with reports claiming that Chelsea’s failure to tie him down before owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government has ultimately cost them.
