Rüdiger plays down exit rumors as Chelsea reportedly make progress in talks

Antonio Rüdiger has claimed that media coverage has over-dramatized his current situation at Chelsea, where he’s now into the final six months of his contract and thus able to discuss terms with clubs outside the Premier League — i.e. PSG, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.

But the 28-year-old, who leads the team in minutes and has been a key player for Thomas Tuchel from the beginning, appears to have played down rumors linking him with an actual exit, telling SportBild that reality is not nearly as spicy as all these rumors make it out to be. (Though obviously that doesn’t mean they’re not true!)

“In the case of transfer rumours, it is well known that the media always like to add a little more salt and pepper to make the headline a bit more explosive and bigger.

“Accordingly, you will not hear from me until the day of the final decision. We still have a lot to do at Chelsea this season, and my full focus at the moment is on the City game. My agent is currently taking care of everything else.”

-Antonio Rüdiger; source: SportBild via Sport Witness

Of course, the best way to make these rumors go away would be to actually sign a new extension. To that effect, talks have reportedly not only restarted but are “better” than before, as the latest rumblings from Germany claim.