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Chelsea make Antonio Rudiger decision which could impact Declan Rice transfer
Chelsea want to extend Antonio Rudiger's contract.
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Chelsea have told Antonio Rudiger that he will only be able to leave the club on loan this summer if he signs a new deal at Stamford Bridge, a stance which could impact their bid to sign Declan Rice from West Ham.
Rudiger appears to have been left out in the cold by Frank Lampard after Chelsea’s £250million spending spree.
The Blues boss hasn’t included him in any of his squads so far this season, as it appears the German’s chances of first-team football are limited.
Rudiger has a contract at Chelsea until 2022, but has been linked with a loan move away from the club this summer in order to get first-team football.
Tottenham, West Ham and Paris Saint-Germain have all been tipped to move for the centre-back, who is open to leaving on loan.
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However, Chelsea have told him that if he wants to move out on loan, he’ll need to sign a new contract first.
The Mirror claims Blues chiefs have issued Rudiger with an ultimatum over his future, and assured him they will block any loan bids if he doesn’t sign a one-year extension.
Tottenham apparently want to make a permanent bid if they are unable to agree a deal for Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar.
But West Ham want a one-year loan deal, with David Moyes keen to improve his defensive options.
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Chelsea are reportedly ready to offer them the chance to sign Rudiger permanently, as well as fellow target Ruben Loftus-Cheek, in return for Rice.
The Blues have made Rice their final target of the summer and are expected to make a fresh bid to sign him.
They have been quoted a fee of £73m by the Hammers, but aren’t likely to go anywhere near that fee.
Instead, they will offer up two players in a player-plus-cash deal in the hopes of getting West Ham to lower their valuation.
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And transfer expert Fabrizio Romano believes Rice will more likely than not end up staying at the London Stadium – unless Chelsea make a significantly improved bid.
“At the moment, if you speak with anyone at West Ham they say the player will stay,” he said.
“They are so convinced, so we have to respect West Ham.
“When you talk about top clubs, you can often get excited about deals, but you have to respect teams like West Ham.
“They’re working on the transfer market, and they want to keep Declan Rice.
“If it’s an important bid, they can sign him, if not, he’ll obviously stay at West Ham.”
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