4 players who could replace Antonio Rudiger at Chelsea

There is still huge uncertainty surrounding the future of Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger, as he has a couple of months left on his contract with the club. Chelsea haven't been able to convince Rudiger to extend his stay at Stamford bridge despite several rounds of negotiations.

As things stand, the defender could possibly leave the club for free, come the end of the season. The German defender joined Chelsea from Italian club side AS Roma in the summer of 2017 for a transfer fee of £29 million. He has gone on to establish himself as one of Chelsea's key players, making up to 125 Premier League appearances for the Blues.

Should Rudiger eventually leave Chelsea for free this summer, it will come as a big blow for the club and Thomas Tuchel. Since that is a distinct possibility, let's look at four players who can easily replace the German defender.

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#1 Levi Colwill

Levi Colwill is currently plying his trade for Huddersfield

The 19-year-old Chelsea defender could save the Blues a lot of money in the transfer market, as he has what it takes to replace Antonio Rudiger. Colwill is regarded as one of Chelsea's biggest prospects, and is currently showing his worth on loan at Championship side Huddersfield.

The young star can operate in both a back-three and a back-four position. He is also left-footed, which makes him an ideal option to fill in the left centre-back role currently being occupied by Rudiger.

Colwill also has a huge aerial presence due to his height, and his ball-playing skills will be a perfect match for Thomas Tuchel, who loves his defenders to play from the back during build-ups.

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#2 Matthijs de Ligt

Matthijs de Ligt is regarded as among the best young defenders

Another good option for the Blues in terms of possible replacements for Antonio Rudiger is Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt. The former Ajax captain is considered by many to be one of the best young defenders in world football.

The 22-year-old is a right-footed ball-playing defender who can also operate in both a back-four and back-three system, which will be a good option for Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel.

De Ligt has made a total of 38 appearances this campaign across all competitions for club and country. He was impressive against the Blues in the first leg of their Champions League group stage game this season.

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#3 Ronald Araujo

Ronald Araujo is another good option to replace Rudiger

Another ideal option to replace Rudiger, as well as for building the Blues defense around, is Barcelona's Ronald Araujo.

Having joined the Catalan giants from Boston Rivers in 2018, the 23-year-old Uruguayan defender has gone on to become a key member of the Barcelona team.

He is also yet to commit his long-term future to his current club, which is an ideal opportunity for Thomas Tuchel's side to swoop down for his signature this summer. Araujo has made a total of 32 appearances for Xavi Hernandez's team this season, with 21 of those coming in the Spanish La Liga.

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#4 Conor Coady

Conor Coady has been brilliant for Wolves

Should Chelsea FC decide to go for a proven Premier League defender to replace Antonio Rudiger, then Wolves captain Conor Coady would be an ideal option.

The 29-year-old combative defender has consistently remained one of the best centre-backs in the the league in recent seasons, making Wolves a strong side defensively.

Coady barely gets injured, and his leadership qualities will be a good addition to the Blues at the back. He has also added a few goals to his game this season, scoring three in his 30 Premier League appearances for Wolves, which isn't a bad stat for a defender.