The Blues have announced the capture of the bully German defender for a fee reported to be £34m.
Antonio Rudiger is now a Chelsea player.
Antonio Rudiger is now a Chelsea player.
AS Roma have received a reported £34 million for his services from Chelsea who announced the deal on Sunday evening.
The tough-tackling defender, who hails from Germany, has signed a lucrative five-year deal with Antonio Conte’s Blues. He will offer competition to the likes of Gary Cahill and David Luiz in Chelsea’s back three.
“It’s a great feeling because not every player has the opportunity to join a huge club like this,” Rudiger told the club’s official website.
“I am looking forward to meeting up with my new team-mates and I’m very proud to officially become a Chelsea player.”
The 24-year-old can also play on the right side of defense, adding some much-needed versatility to the Blues’ ranks.
Rudiger was one of the heroes for Germany as they overcame Chile to win this year’s Confederations Cup. In Joachim Loew’s young lineup, the defender played on the left side of a back three.
Chelsea’s Technical Director Michael Emenalo said: “We are pleased to be able to bring in a player of proven quality who adds to our defensive options.
“Antonio is still young but is experienced at club and international level and possesses all the requisite attributes to thrive in the Premier League.
“We have been aware of him for some time and we are confident he will fit in well with the squad.”
Rudiger made his Bundesliga debut in 2012, having moved from Dortmund’s youth setup to Stuttgart the previous year.
2012 saw him move to Italy where he has represented Roma for two years.
Rudiger bids Roma goodbye
The German defender has been a key cog in Roma’s team for the past two seasons, clocking 30 and 26 Serie A apps in 2015/16 and 2016/17 respectively.
The defensive enforcer also participated in the Champions League last season, helping the Giallorossi into the last-16.
It is therefore understandable why he would be emotional when saying goodbye to the club and its passionate fans.
“This farewell is not easy for me because I really enjoyed playing for Roma with its supporters, and I made a lot of friends in the team,” Rudiger wrote on social media.
“But when I heard of the offer from Chelsea I had to think about it and I realised that in life you never know if you’ll get a second chance.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the whole Roma staff and all the fans and my teammates for their support in two amazing years in Rome!”
Chelsea’s other summer arrival is Willy Caballero, who arrived on a free transfer from Man City.
The futures of Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa remain unresolved in the meantime.
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Monday, July 10, 2017
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