“He’s going to Real Madrid because he’s greedy” – Simon Jordan slams Antonio Rudiger for deciding to leave Chelsea

Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has slammed Antonio Rudiger for his decision to leave Chelsea for Real Madrid, labelling the German defender as 'greedy'.

The 29-year-old centre-back will leave Stamford Bridge this summer, having spent five years in west London, to join Real Madrid. His contract expires at the end of the season, but there has been no progress on talks about a new deal.

Jordan has now criticised the Real Madrid-bound player for his wage demands, telling talkSPORT:

"£200,000 a week, which is outrageous amounts of money, he wants a 10 million pound sign on; his ghastly, wretched agent wants 10 million quid, that's just madness. It's absolute greed; he's going to Real Madrid because he's greedy, end of discussion. Good riddance.”

Patrick Berger revealed that Rudiger rejected Manchester United's offer of a £10 million net salary, which was the best deal offered to the defender by any club.

Rudiger has made 196 appearances for the Blues, scoring 12 goals and contributing seven assists. That includes five goals and four assists this season in nearly 50 appearances. The German has won the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League at Stamford Bridge.

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Is Antonio Rudiger's move from Chelsea to Real Madrid a case of greed or wanting new experience?

Simon Jordan's scathing comments on Rudiger is intriguing, as the defender rejected Manchester United's lucrative offer.

Although his wage demands are high, Chelsea fans may argue that the defender deserves a deal comparable to that of top Premier League defenders. Jordan and Danny Murphy claim that Rudiger isn't as good as the likes of Ruben Dias or Virgil van Dijk.

That is debatable given the hugely impressive performances of the German, who has been a key player under Thomas Tuchel.

Rudiger joined the Blues from AS Roma in 2017 for £31.5 million. He didn't actually begin to hit the heights he has under Tuchel at the start of his stint at Stamford Bridge. Rudiger was in and out of the Blues' XI during his first few seasons. However, alongside Thiago Silva, he is now a key first-team player.

Thomas Tuchel is disappointed to see the defender leave but knows the club will find a solution to his departure. Chelsea have their hands tied because of the UK government's sanctions on their owner Roman Abramovich because of Russia's Ukraine invasion. They are not allowed to make new buys or extend the deals of current players. Tuchel said about the predicament:

‘Without the sanctions we would have at least had the chance to keep fighting for him to stay but for many weeks now, our hands have been tied. I don’t know what the outcome would have been otherwise, but this is his decision now."

He added:

"It’s not a nice one for us, but we won’t take it personally. It will be challenging, but no matter how much I love him and how big a role he played, there will be Chelsea without Toni Rudiger, and we will find solution."

Rudiger sat out Chelsea's 1-0 Premier League victory over West Ham United on Sunday because of a groin injury. He's likely moving to Real Madrid, as he seeks a new challenge along with better wages and because of the Blues' uncertain future.