Chelsea will have to have pay €5.5m a year gross if they want to keep Antonio Rudiger at the club beyond the end of the season, according to Bild‘s Christian Falk.
The German journalist, who is rather hit and miss when it comes to reliability, also claims that the 28-year-old defender wants a four to five year extension on his current deal, which is set to expire in June:
TRUE ✅ If you are in trouble make it double: If @ChelseaFC want @ToniRuediger to sign a new contract the club has to offer the double salery (at the Moment 5,5 mio € gross). Background: Jules Koundé had a offer from Chelsea for a salary of 4,5 mio € – but NET pic.twitter.com/OmLlhRoW5z
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) September 15, 2021
Negotations about 4- or 5-years contract
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) September 15, 2021
In the United Kingdom, the top rate of tax is 50%, meaning that to pay Rudiger what he wants, they would need to offer him €11m (£9.4m) a season. That works out at around £181,000 a week.
Considering that his teammate Romelu Lukaku is reportedly earning £325,000 a week, it is not an unfair request from Rudiger, considering he plays almost every game for the Blues.
As Falk also points out, though, Chelsea can bring in Jules Kounde for a salary that is well below what Rudiger is asking for, and the Frenchman is six years younger too.
With six teams said to be pursuing Rudiger on a free transfer next summer, including Tottenham, his departure is looking increasingly likely.
