Chelsea have plans to hijack Liverpool’s move for Brighton defender Ben White – and to abandon Antonio Rudiger in the process.
Frank Lampard’s overhaul of the most loyal rear guard in the top half of last season’s Premier League is about to go ruthless.
And it looks like German international Rudiger will be one of the prominent victims this summer, along with disgraced Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Rudiger, 27, failed to convince the Chelsea manager that he was the solution to his team’s serious defensive problems. The Blues conceded 54 league goals in 2019-20.
A terrible sight in the FA Cup final defeat last weekend to Arsenal was another nail in the £ 29m former Roma midfielder’s Stamford Bridge career.
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Rudiger’s departure will further pave the way for the Blues to fight against the Liverpool champions for White’s signing.
The 22-year-old Seagulls center-back is in demand after a splendid season on loan at championship-winning Leeds.
White was always present for Marcelo Bielsa’s side and the Argentine manager hopes to secure him permanently before the Yorkshire club begins their long-awaited comeback among the elite.
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But the chances of that happening are increasingly slim, with Liverpool set to make an opening offer of £ 20m and Chelsea set to improve on anything on the table.
Brighton boss Graham Potter said White will not be joining Leeds last month because he wants him back at Amex Stadium.
Despite still not making a senior appearance for the club, Albion slapped a £ 40 million price tag on the youngster – under contract until June 2022.
However, if that figure will make Jurgen Klopp’s Reds think twice, it won’t discourage Chelsea, who are spending a lot after completing a two-window transfer ban.
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