“Give him the money” – Paul Merson tells Chelsea to pay up after watching Antonio Rudiger's performance against Crystal Palace

Paul Merson has urged Chelsea to give whatever Antonio Rudiger wants and keep him at the club. The former Arsenal player believes the German is a vital part of the Blues starting XI and should not be let go for free this summer.

Rudiger's contract is up at the end of the season, and the German is yet to pen a new deal at the club. Reports suggest the former AS Roma defender rejected the club's initial offer as he wants to earn a bigger contract.

Speaking after Chelsea's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League, Merson simply said:

"Give him the money."

Antonio Rudiger wants to stay at Chelsea.

Rudiger has repeatedly claimed that he has no plans to leave unless the club does not meet his demands. He added that he felt great at Stamford Bridge but hinted that his future was no longer in his hands.

He told The Athletic:

"I feel great here, I have always said it. I think the way I play you can see that I'm happy here. But there are also other people who have to make decisions."

Speaking after the Club World Cup win last week, the German added:

"Does it keep getting better and better for me at Chelsea? Yes. We had never won this trophy (FIFA Club World Cup) in Chelsea's history before. I'm very delighted that we didn't give up, that we did our thing. We tried everything and won."

He added:

"I just want to help, I just want to be important and lead by example. We all showed character against Palmeiras. None of us gave up. Thiago Silva gave away the penalty (against Palmeiras) but he didn't lack anything. He continued and continued. And there was a great impact from the guys who came on from the bench, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Malang Sarr, Timo Werner and Saul Nigues. They all worked very hard."

He also said:

"The Premier League is the toughest competition to be honest because Manchester City set a very high standard. We have to get to a point where we can go on a long marathon."

The Blues have a big week coming up with a Champions League tie against Lille and then a Carabao Cup final against Liverpool next weekend.