Madrid (AFP) – German international central defender Antonio Rüdiger, who has been playing at Chelsea since 2017, has been transferred free to Real Madrid, with whom he will be under contract until the end of the 2025-2026 season, the Madrid club announced in a press release published on Thursday. .
” Real Madrid CF have reached an agreement for the signing of Antonio Rüdiger, who joins the club for four years “, can we read in the press release. Rüdiger, 29, has 50 caps with Germany.
In a long text devoted to its former player, Chelsea bids farewell ” to Antonio Rüdiger leaving Stamford Bridge (…) ending his five trophy-laden years with the club “.
” The German defender left the Blues to join Real Madrid, having played a huge role in our success in recent seasons “, Continues the London club. ” Rüdiger won the FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea, playing a crucial role in all those triumphs at the heart of our defence. »
This transfer at a lower cost – Rüdiger was at the end of his contract with Chelsea – reinforces the curtain of the “White House”: Rüdiger could accompany Eder Militao in central defense, and if necessary shift David Alaba to the position of left side, the one occupied by Ferland Mendy this season.
The figures for the deal have not been disclosed by the clubs, but according to Spanish press, Rüdiger will receive €9m net per season salary, with a signing bonus of €8m and another €15 EUR million in commissions.
Trained in Germany, Rüdiger exploded in Italy, during his spell at AS Roma between 2015 and 2017, before the Roman club sold him to the Blues in exchange for 35 million EUR.
At Chelsea, Rüdiger won the Europa League in 2019, and scooped the Champions League, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2021.
This transfer from Chelsea to Real Madrid confirms the good relationship between the two clubs, after the arrivals of Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard, Alvaro Morata, Marcos Alonso in recent years, and even those of Claude Makélélé, Michael Essien and Arjen Robben a few years ago.