5 players who can replace Antonio Rudiger at Chelsea

#3 Alessandro Bastoni | Inter Milan

FC Internazionale v Bologna FC - Serie A

According to reports in Italy, Chelsea marksman Romelu Lukaku has recommended his former teammates Alessandro Bastoni and Milan Skriniar to management at Stamford Bridge. While it is unlikely that the Blues will snatch both center-backs from the reigning Italian champions, they will be hard-pressed not to make a choice.

Last season, Inter lost only three Serie A games and conceded just 35 goals in 38 games. The Italian giants also had the best defensive record in the league, which was largely due to the defensive brilliance between Skriniar and Bastoni. With Chelsea's large pockets, there should be no issues gunning for 22-year-old Alessandro Bastoni as a longer-term replacement for Rudiger, rather than Skriniar, who is 26.

The young Italian international is clearly capable of holding his own at the very highest level and he will have no problems adapting to life at Stamford Bridge. However, it may take a large bid for the Nerazzurri to bend to Chelsea's will during the January transfer window.

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#2 Niklas Sule | Bayern Munich

Atletico Madrid v FC Bayern Muenchen: Group A - UEFA Champions League

With Bayern keeping an eye on Antonio Rudiger's exit from Stamford Bridge, it's rather ironic that Chelsea have their eye on Niklas Sule's exit from the Allianz Arena. Both clubs seem to be in the same predicament, with their respective center-backs in no hurry to renew or extend their contracts. With Sule potentially leaving the Bundesliga champions at the end of his contract, this might be Thomas Tuchel's most affordable route to replacing Rudiger.

Once January arrives, Sule will officially be allowed to speak and sign pre-contract agreements with any club of his choice. However, the German international has been a consistent rock at the heart of Bayern's defense and Julian Nagelsmann hardly wants to let him leave, especially on a free transfer.

With more top players like Lionel Messi and Gianluigi Donnarumma seeing out their contracts and leaving for free, Sule could potentially move to Stamford Bridge by next season.

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#1 Jules Kounde | Sevilla

Portugal v France - UEFA Euro 2020: Group F

One of the most reported events during the summer transfer window was Jules Kounde's potential move from Sevilla to Chelsea. Although Thomas Tuchel pushed hard to land the 22-year-old, the Blues were unable to reach an agreement with the Spanish side. According to reports, Sevilla raised their asking price by an extra £12.8 million as the transfer window drew to a close. However, this won't stop Chelsea from following up on their main target in the months leading up to the winter transfer window.

Reports indicate that Kounde was upset with the result of those negotiations, and the French international may still want to move to Chelsea if another bid materializes from the higher-ups at Stamford Bridge. Kounde is currently focused on performing well for Sevilla, and these good performances will only keep Chelsea very interested in the top-rated star.