Arsenal Legend Believes Chelsea Should Sign Real Madrid Star Antonio Rudiger
The January football transfer window sees plenty of talk but few deals. Many clubs are reluctant to spend too much midway through the season. Loan deals and talks regarding summer moves are more common.
Real Madrid have been linked with several players who are out of contract in the summer, mostly at the center-back position. They also have two players in David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger. The former looks set to leave in the summer, while the German defender's future is unknown.
Rudiger has seen his name linked to moves to the Saudi Pro League and other European countries. The biggest eyebrow raiser was his former club, Chelsea, being linked with a move. A former Arsenal player believes it should be something the club really looks into.
Arsenal legend loves Antonio Rudiger to Chelsea move
On the talkSPORT radio show (h/t the Chelsea Chronicle), Ray Parlour discussed the latest transfer news and rumors linking Antonio Rudiger to Chelsea. He believes a deal is a no-brainer for the new head coach, Liam Rosenior.
“Take him, he knows Chelsea, I’d take him straight back. You’d definitely take Rudiger back, every Chelsea fan would have him back.”Ray Parlour
If Chelsea or any team wanted to pick up Rudiger in January, it would be a cheap deal. The Real Madrid man's contract runs out on June 30, 2026, and he could leave for free. However, if the Blues want to add him to their roster in the winter transfer window, he may cost just $10.5 million (€10 million).
Could a return to the Premier League be on the cards for Antonio Rudiger? 🔙👀
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) January 9, 2026
Gossip 👉 https://t.co/eRsKZBedvw pic.twitter.com/yq9vV3mKnS
Due to the injury problems in Real Madrid's defense, it feels highly unlikely that Xabi Alonso would want Ruiger to leave in January. The club only have five senior center-backs, and Eder Militao could be out for most of the remainder of the season. Alaba is also prone to injury, so Rudiger should be a Los Blancos player after the January window.
MORE: Real Madrid Transfer News: Potential Alexander-Arnold Exit, Guehi, Lunin, & More
Another question for the Spanish club is whether they will keep the experienced German for the 2026-27 season? The club are known for not offering multiple-year contract extensions to players over 30. If that is the case, would Rudiger want financial safety in a deal at another club?
At the moment, he is playing a vital role in Alonso's search for silverware in his first season as head coach.
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-031bbeb5612ca252e2129722373fa56d.png "Jordan Merritt")
Jordan Merritt is a staff writer for Real Madrid On SI. Before joining On SI, he wrote at Fansided, covering Ole Miss football, basketball, and baseball. He has also written for YardBarker, Heavy Sports, and the official EFL site. Merritt is a big sports fan, spending most of his weekends watching Soccer, the NFL, the NBA, college football/basketball, and others. Before starting his career as a freelance writer, Merritt was an Engineer for over 10 years. He lives in West Yorkshire, England, and is keenly interested in sports trading cards.
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