Antonio Rudiger set for a big move to Real Madrid after deciding to leave Chelsea this summer

Antonio Rudiger has been linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer after revealing he will be leaving Chelsea.

Thomas Tuchel announced that the German defender would be leaving on a free transfer after Chelsea’s victory over West Ham. The manager expressed his frustration after the decision was made.

“Without the sanctions we would at least be able to carry on fighting, but our hands are tied

He is a key figure and will stay that way until the end of the season. But it is disappointing. We will miss him a lot. He gives courage in the dressing room.”

Rudiger has played a pivotal role in the Blues’ defence this season. His pace and ability to cover ground quickly allow the full backs to attack without the worry of leaving too much space behind them. He has helped progress the ball too with both his passing and dribbling capabilities and scored five times for his team in all competitions this season.

One of the 29-year-old’s best performances this season came in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final against Tottenham.

Rudiger scored the only goal in the game after he headed home from a corner that was misjudged by Pierluigi Gollini. The centre-back won possession six times throughout the game, including three interceptions, and won 50% of his duels.

He also completed a staggering 96.9% of his passes while creating one big chance in the game and he was successful in his one attempted dribble.

A move to the Spanish capital has reportedly been the chosen destination for Rudiger, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

The two main central defenders for Real Madrid this season have been David Alaba and Eder Militao. Here is how Rudiger compares to both defenders and Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo, who recently extended his contract at the club.

All three La Liga defenders tackle more efficiently than Rudiger, but the German wins the ball more in the midfield third whereas the others win it more frequently in the defensive third. Only Araujo (75.9%) however has better success when tackling attackers who are dribbling than Rudiger (64.9).

Rudiger has very similar statistics when it comes to tackles, interceptions, and clearances to Alaba and Araujo, but Militao is clear in all three areas. The Brazilian although has made the most errors leading to shots from the opposition.

All four players have very similar pass completion rates, with Alaba leading the pack by a mere 1.7%. Despite his impressive passing stats, Rudiger’s 88.1% completion rate is the lowest of the pack due to less success when attempting long passes.

Both Araujo (76.3%) and Militao (74.2%) are more successful when it comes to aerial battles than Rudiger (67.8).

Rudiger has also been linked to PSG and Manchester United along with Real Madrid. With only a few games remaining in the season, it is likely that Rudiger’s future club will be announced once the league campaign is finished.

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