Rüdiger set for medical after Chelsea, AS Roma agree €38m deal — report

No secret has been made of the fact that Chelsea are in the market for at least one central defender and while the names of Jerome Boateng, Leonardo Bonucci and Virgil van Dijk have been thrown around in the press for a while, Chelsea have reportedly finalised a deal for Roma defender, Antonio Rüdiger.

BOOM!

Granted, Di Marzio and Sky Italy haven’t been the most reliable sources of late but there are a few reasons that suggest why they might be spot on.

The agreed initial fee is reported as €33 million, with another potential €5 million in add-ons. The 24-year-old has agreed to a five-year contract which will see him earn £4 million per year. A medical is said to be scheduled for some time next week.

This deal seems to have been concluded in typical Chelsea fashion (if you’re willing to look past the negotiations for Bakayoko and/or Alex Sandro), in a similar manner to the Batshuayi and Kante deals last summer; not long after reports of talks between the clubs emerged, a deal has apparently been closed.

All in all, it seems like a decent deal for a starting defender from the second best team in Serie A last season. Rüdiger will also provide quality depth, capable of filling in at right or left center-back. The fabled July 1 is upon us, and even if no transfers are announced on the day itself, they certainly look set to be, sooner rather than later.