Real Madrid’s £315,000-a-week offer for Antonio Rudiger ‘was the SMALLEST on the table’ and an unnamed English side proposed ‘almost double’, reveals agent Saif Rubie – who claims Chelsea ‘made next to no effort to keep him’
- Antonio Rudiger joined Real Madrid this summer after five years with Chelsea
- Saif Rubie has claimed the defender would have been keen to stay at the club
- However, Chelsea reportedly made ‘next to no effort’ to keep the centre back
- Rubie also said the offer Real made for Rudiger was the ‘smallest’ by half
Football agent Saif Rubie has hit out at Chelsea for making ‘no effort’ to keep Antonio Rudiger despite the player ‘wanting to stay’, and claimed Real Madrid’s offer for the defender was the ‘smallest on the table.’
Thomas Tuchel’s side spent much of the summer chasing new centre backs after Rudiger left to join Los Blancos.
He left on a free transfer, but the 29-year-old did pick up a £10 million signing on fee.
Defender Antonio Rudiger joined Real Madrid this summer after five years with Chelsea
According to Rubie, the fee could have been much higher if Chelsea accepted a different offer. He said on TalkSPORT: ‘Let me confirm this, live on air, the Real Madrid deal was the smallest deal on offer.
‘There was a club in England offering almost double the amount and a club in Europe doubling the amount.
‘I’m not going to discuss the specifics. Everyone knows there was teams interested in this player. He was one of the best in the world.’
Saif Rubie has claimed the defender would have been keen to stay at Stamford Bridge
The agent, who worked as an intermediary in the Rudiger deal and previously achieved infamy for his role in Bobby Duncan’s departure from Liverpool in 2019, also claimed that Chelsea made ‘no effort’ to keep the defender, despite his stellar performances.
He continued: ‘Antonio Rudiger has been one of the best, if not the best, defender in the world and Premier League.
‘It made Carlo Ancelotti want to bring him to Real Madrid. What is the value of a top flight, top level centre half in the game?’
The intermediary said that Real’s offer for Rudiger was the ‘smallest’ Chelsea received
‘What if I told you Chelsea, and the old regime, basically made next to no effort to keep the player.
‘At the time he was very happy to stay and potentially be the captain of the club. He was offered a contract that was half the amount Romelu Lukaku were earning.’
Since losing Rudiger, Chelsea have brought in Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly to strengthen their backline.
They currently sit 6th in the Premier League after a somewhat lucky win over West Ham on Saturday.
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