Manchester United supporters are pleading with the club to sign Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger following news that Blues owner Roman Abramovich has been placed under strict UK sanctions.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine a fortnight ago, the UK has slowly been cracking down on wealthy Russians with assets within the UK. Abramovich has now been handed a whole host of sanctions, meaning he is currently blocked from selling Chelsea, having put the club up for sale last week.
The sanctions imposed on Abramovich are going to have a catastrophic knock-on effect for the club, especially its supporters, with Chelsea now banned from selling tickets. As well as that, which means only season ticket holders can attend fixtures, Chelsea are also banned from selling merchandise, offering new contracts to players and staff, signing new players and selling them for financial gains.
READ MORE: Roman Abramovich blocked from selling Chelsea FC as Government sanctions leave club in limbo
This means that Chelsea's out-of-contract stars, such as Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Rudiger, whose deals expire at the end of June, will not be allowed to sign new deals. Therefore, that would leave Chelsea's defence incredibly light on numbers.
Chelsea have been hoping to tie Rudiger down to a new deal in recent months following the revitalisation of his Stamford Bridge career under head coach Thomas Tuchel over the past year or so. However, they have failed to make progress and United have been linked with his signature.
With the Blues now banned from offering new contracts to players, United's supporters are calling on the club to swoop for Rudiger and bolster their defensive options. Below, MEN Sport has taken a close look at what fans have had to say on social media.
As you can see from the messages displayed in the tweets above, United's supporters are desperate to see the club sign Rudiger on a free transfer this summer. The German has been at Stamford Bridge since 2017 and has made almost 200 appearances for the club.
The sanctions that have been imposed on Abramovich are in effect until May 31, meaning Rudiger could still sign a new deal if they are not extended beyond that date. However, in a fast-changing situation, it is impossible to predict what might happen in the coming weeks and months.
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