Germany manager Joachim Low shed light on Antonio Rudiger's situation at Chelsea, with the defender falling down the pecking order under Frank Lampard. After the arrival of Thiago Silva this summer, Rudiger was cast aside by the Englishman, with the likes of Andreas Christensen, Fikayo Tomori and Kurt Zouma also believed to be ahead of him.
Speaking ahead of Germany's games in the international break, Low revealed that Rudiger had several offers to leave Chelsea, but none of the moves materialized before the deadline.
“I was in constant contact with Toni Rudiger, he was keeping me in the loop. He had three or four options over the weekend but unfortunately, nothing materialised – he can try again in the winter."
“He can put in a great performance even without a few weeks of match practice. I've been walking the path with him over the past few years and we've had a dialogue since the very beginning. His development over the past four or five years has been great."
Rudiger will look to leave Chelsea again in January, claims Low
Rudiger has blown hot and cold since his move to Chelsea, with the defender being criticized for his lack of consistency at the back for the Blues. Low, however, leapt to his faith and lavished praise on his qualities as a player.
“He has established himself as a top international player. In terms of athleticism, dynamism and tough duels, he maintains his top level for a few weeks even without match practice.
“He tried everything to leave Chelsea because the European Championship is very important to him. I think he'll try to leave again in the winter. He's doing everything he can to stay in his best form.”
Rudiger will reportedly look to leave Chelsea again in the January transfer window, as he looks to get his career back on track and become a key player for club and country. Tottenham Hotspur came closest to signing the German on loan, but he reportedly opted against crossing the London divide to join Chelsea's local rivals.
Also Read: Real Madrid star Karim Benzema says he had to adapt to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo