Antonio Rudiger nearly convinced £359,000-per-week star to join Chelsea before Real Madrid switch: Reports

Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger tried to convince Real Madrid's David Alaba to join the Blues from Bayern Munich last summer, according to recent reports. Alaba's contract with the Bavarian side expired last summer, and he joined Los Blancos in a sensational move.

The Austrian defender reportedly earns a whopping £359,000-per-week. Manchester City, PSG and Chelsea had been tailing the 29-year-old before he made the switch to Madrid.

From how things are shaping up, Rudiger might form a formidable back-line alongside Alaba at Real Madrid next summer.

The German defender's contract expires next season. Despite constant efforts from Chelsea to get his signature on a contract extension, Rudiger's future remains shrouded in mystery.

Recent reports suggest Chelsea are willing to offer £140,000-a-week, which is a substantial increase from his current £90,000-a-week deal.

However, Rudiger is holding out for an offer that will fetch him an upward of £200,000-a-week. Reports suggest Real Madrid are willing to match that number, which would make Rudiger the highest paid defender in the world.

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Antonio Rudiger could be reunited with former Chelsea players Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois at Real Madrid

Should the deal fall through, Rudiger could be reunited with former Chelsea players Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois.

Interestingly, Hazard has been linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu and Chelsea are among the favorites to sign their former playmaker.

Real Madrid have been tailing Kylian Mbappe for as long as fans can remember. Carlo Ancelloti needs all the resources on deck to be able to sign the Frenchman and is willing to offload deadweight.

Real Madrid have also been linked with Erling Haaland, but signing Mbappe remains a priority.

A recent report by the Daily Telegraph also stated how Real Madrid players are convinced that Rudiger is going to make the switch in 2022.

Chelsea have been linked with Jules Kounde for a while now. A move for the Sevilla defender didn't materialize in the summer. However, with Rudiger's future uncertain at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have upped the ante to bring Kounde on board.

Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen, and Cesar Azpilicueta are all out of contract at the end of the season. This essentially means that Chelsea are looking at a defensive revamp, should the aforementioned players leave in search of greener pastures.