Antonio Rudiger says he would not have left Chelsea for any other club but Real Madrid – and admits the La Liga giants first contacted him about a move to the Santiago Bernabeu early into the 2021/22 campaign.
After the arrival of Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge in January 2021, he blossomed into one of the finest defenders in European football. He played a key role as the Blues went on to win the Champions League with a victory over Manchester City in the final in Porto.
After that triumph, Chelsea held talks with Rudiger's representatives over a new contract for the centre-back, whose deal expired this summer. However, those did not progress, and from the start of January, the German international was free to agree to a pre-contract move to another European club.
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Chelsea continued to push and are understood to have offered Rudiger a deal in excess of £200,00 a week. It would have made the 29-year-old the best-paid player in the club's history. Yet no agreement was reached, and the Blues were then forced to operate under the sanctions placed upon then-owner Roman Abramovich, which meant no new contracts could be signed.
And after Rudiger produced an excellent performance for Chelsea in the Bernabeu in the Champions League, Real Madrid moved quickly to come to an agreement with the defender, who has joined the European champions on a free transfer.
"The first time I heard about Madrid's interest...imagine. It was like, wow," Rudiger explained in an interview with Marca. "They first contacted me in September or October, I think. A club like this doesn't call you many times, so it was amazing. In this period, it is true that there have been many conversations. But if I am honest, I only considered Madrid or Chelsea.
"I think that in football, as in life, everything is a chapter, and this is a new chapter for me. Obviously, this new chapter is a big one because it's a big step for me. It's probably the biggest of my whole career."
Rudiger hasn't yet travelled to Madrid since signing his contract with the club; he is currently away on international duty with Germany for their Nations League fixtures. But when he does eventually link up with his new teammates, there will be a familiar face in the squad: Eden Hazard.
The Belgian made the journey from Stamford Bridge to the Bernabeu in 2019, and Rudiger says he is excited to play once more with Hazard. "The day he left Chelsea, we were sad, but then I was happy for him because I knew that Madrid were his dream since he was a kid, he told us," the German explained. "He was a big fan of [Zinedine] Zidane.
"I'm very happy to be with Eden again, now at Madrid. I know it's been a tough few years for him with a lot of injuries and problems, but I still hope Madrid fans can see the Hazard I played with because he was undoubtedly one of the best players in the world.
"I hope he is healthy because, for players, it is the most important thing. I have no doubts about his quality, he is a top player. I will help him in any way he can."
