Rüdiger committed to staying at Chelsea; plus Raphael Varane, Pau Torres updates — reports

Antonio Rüdiger

Antonio Rüdiger’s current Chelsea contract expires in 2022 and while extending the deal in question is the need of the hour, all negotiations have taken a backseat to the ongoing European Championship. Despite the lack of discussions, Sky Sports are reporting that the German international has given his verbal commitment to Thomas Tuchel over remaining at the club next season.

Chelsea have not yet formally offered a new deal to Rudiger, but the 28-year-old is said to be keen on signing a new long-term contract with the Blues. Should Chelsea not offer a contract extension to the defender, he is reportedly willing to see out the final 12 months of his deal and leave for free next summer, with a number of clubs in England and Europe having already contacted his representatives to enquire about his situation.

Raphael Varane

It was reported that Manchester United have made the first offer for Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane, although their bid was rejected by Los Blancos. The Red Devils are still open to negotiating a slightly better offer and according to AS, they may have a trump card on their roster in midfielder Paul Pogba.

The report notes that United are open to trading the two France internationals and such a deal may be in both clubs’ best interests, with Pogba and Varane’s current contracts expiring in 2022. Pogba on his part would reportedly be delighted at the prospect of getting his ‘dream move’ to Santiago Bernabéu and while he is open to extending his stay at Old Trafford, his preference leans towards a switch to Spain if such an option was available.

In the event of Varane’s departure, Real could look to replace him with Roger Ibañez of AS Roma, as per Goal and Diario AS (via Il Romanista).

Pau Torres

Meanwhile Manchester United are also reportedly working a potential move for Villarreal0s Pau Torres, according to Manchester Evening News. There is a growing belief that a deal can be struck to sign Torres in the current window, although any move is likely to take place after the Euro 2020/1 concludes.

United feel that Torres’ natural ability as a left-footed player makes him an ideal candidate as long-term partner to club captain Harry Maguire. And while Torres’ current contract runs through 2024 and has a release clause of €60m, Villarreal could consider a player-plus-cash offer if his suitors are unable to match that figure in the current financial climate — although the priority remains selling him for cash only.

Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) are claiming that the Red Devils are set to make an opening offer of €50m for Torres, having monitored the player for a long time now. Real Madrid’s interest in the Chelsea-linked centre back has also been corroborated by the report.