Thomas Tuchel confirmed on Sunday that Antonio Rudiger plans to leave Chelsea at the end of the season. The German defender is out of contract in the summer and his time at Stamford Bridge looks to be up.
Tuchel told Sky Sports: "Toni, the media is on it. The situation is that he wants to leave the club. He informed me of this is in a private talk. We gave everything - me and the club - but we could not fight anymore because of the actions.
"Without the sanctions, we would at least be able to carry on fighting, but our hands are tied. We don't take it personally. It is his decision.
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"He is a key figure and will stay that way until the end of the season. But it is disappointing. We will miss him a lot. He gives courage in the dressing room.
"The kind everyone is afraid of, but the kind to play 50-55 games at an outstanding level. He is a top defender in the last one and a half years for me. We then need to find another solution."
Rudiger has established himself as one of the Premier League's top defenders over the past year, and it will be a huge blow for Chelsea when he does leave. How do they go about replacing someone of the German's ability? football.london takes a look at three options below.
Jules Kounde
The obvious one. Jules Kounde. Chelsea held a strong interest in the Frenchman last summer, but they were unable to agree on a fee with Sevilla over a price for his services.
Tuchel confessed that the Blues were keen on Kounde, and his situation is definitely one that may be revisited at the end of the current season. This looks even more likely with reports in Spain suggesting the defender is now available for £50million.
Kounde's speed and ability on the ball makes him perfect for the way Tuchel likes to play. He could well be used on the right side of a back three, where he is able to cover the wing-backs if they were to be exploited.
Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt has been linked with Chelsea in recent times, with his future at Juventus unclear right now. The 22-year-old has just over two years remaining on his contract with the Italian club, and some reports have suggested that the Old Lady are ready to part ways with the Dutchman.
After signing for Juventus from Ajax in the summer of 2019, the Netherlands international has gone from strength to strength in Turin. He is widely renowned as one of the top defenders in European football.
However, De Ligt wouldn't be a cheap option for Chelsea and would likely cost the club more than the reported price of Kounde (£50m). If he does indeed get put up for sale, then it could alert other European clubs, though, which would not be great news for Chelsea.
Pau Torres
There was a time when Pau Torres was being linked with a move to Chelsea on a regular basis, but speculation on that front has somewhat dried up recently. It looks as the Villarreal centre-back is someone on the radar of Chelsea, so it could be a situation to revisit when Rudiger departs from the west London club.
Torres has just over two years remaining on his contract with Villarreal, who are said to be determined to extend his stay with the club. The Spaniard is very strong on the ball, with his passing definitely a strength of his.
The 25-year-old is not short of admirers, though, with Chelsea's rivals Tottenham also said to be interested in his signature. But Torres recently admitted that he is happy to be playing in Spain at the moment.
"This summer, he (Roig) called my representative and told me there was an important offer from Tottenham, that it was worth more than now (current salary)," Torres said. "But as I play in the team of my town, which few players do, I decided to stay where I am happy."
