€400m release clause
Chelsea defender Antonio Rüdiger is expected to join Real Madrid. The 29-year-old German defender has signed a contract until 2026. Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein from The Athletic reported on Tuesday that Rüdiger would earn €9-10 million a season after tax, and his release clause at Real Madrid will be €400 million. The transfer is expected to be announced after Real Madrid’s Champions League final against Liverpool.
Rüdiger, together with Chelsea teammate Andreas Christensen, is the most valuable center-back available in this summer’s transfer window. Only free agents Kylian Mbappé (PSG), Paul Pogba (Man United), Franck Kessié (Milan), and Paulo Dybala (Juventus) have higher market values than the 29-year-old center-back (overview).
Interest in Rüdiger was understood to be high, and among the teams interested were German giants Bayern Munich. Chelsea also worked hard on a deal but were hit hard when the British government sanctioned Russian owner Roman Abramovich due to his country’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. “We fought hard; I fought hard on a personal level,” Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said (quoted by The Athletic).
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“We made big offers to him, and the club tried everything,” Tuchel added. “But for some weeks, we cannot fight anymore because we have the sanctions. We cannot adjust. We cannot continue, and so it is what it is.” The Athletic reported that before sanctions hit, Chelsea were willing to make Rüdiger the highest-paid defender in Chelsea history but added that the player’s agency (FSB – Spielerberatung GmbH) asked for add-ons that would have added tens of millions of pounds to Rüdiger’s salary.
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