Thiago Silva Extension ‘Not in Doubt’; No Agreement With Antonio Rudiger

Rudiger Key to Chelsea Success

Under Thomas Tuchel, there has arguably been no player more important than Antonio Rudiger. The centre-back has gone from a dispensable member of the Blues’ squad, to one of the most invaluable. Yet, despite this invaluable nature, it seems as though Chelsea are unwilling to match his requests regarding a new contract. And this has created a major dilemma.

Whilst Chelsea have an endless depth of talent, losing Rudiger would represent a major loss, especially whilst tying Silva down for another year. The partnership that the two have built in the past year or so is up there with the best in the league; it has helped Chelsea to a European honour. So to rip that partnership up and throw it away would be an incredible waste of resources.

From the outside looking in, it seems like Chelsea are being forced to pick between Silva and Rudiger, with Silva the one set for a new contract. It must be said, however, that given their respective ages, Rudiger should not be the player left out in the cold. His demands may be more than that of Silva’s, but, the fact is, he has performed to a world class level for a consistent enough time now to qualify for certain demands. It’s up to Chelsea to match those demands.

At 37, Silva isn’t getting any younger, and picking him over Rudiger could turn out to be a costly error.