"That’s the kind of money I want"- Shaka Hislop claims two Chelsea superstars would want to be paid as much as Werner

ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop has claimed that Chelsea stars Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen have valid reasons to demand high wages.

According to Sportrac, misfiring forward Timo Werner earns a massive £272,000 per week at Stamford Bridge.

In comparison, Rudiger earns £100,000 and Christensen is on a £80,000 per week salary. Hislop said the agents of both defenders will want to make sure their players earn on par with Werner.

Shaka Hislop said:

“You’ve got Timo Werner, albeit that is not a Thomas Tuchel signing, who has been a bit-part player but is on an extraordinary salary. If I’m Rudiger’s agent or Christensen’s agent I’m saying as a key piece to this Chelsea puzzle under Thomas Tuchel that’s the kind of money I want.”

Christensen and Rudiger are both in the final year of their Chelsea contracts

Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen have less than six months remaining on their current Blues deal. Both defenders are key members of Tuchel's puzzle at the club.

Rudiger's rise in particular has been phenomenal and he is one of the best defenders in England at the moment.

The club has been in talks with them to extend their contract for quite some time now. However, their efforts have been unsuccessful, with wage demands proving to be the stumbling block.

Rudiger has reportedly been fielding offers from the likes of Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. Reports have also stated that Christensen could be headed to Barcelona this summer.

Losing two defenders in the same summer might hurt the Blues, who will then have to bring in expensive replacements at the Bridge.

Chelsea's top-four place under threat

Chelsea started the season on a high after winning the Champions League last summer. They backed it up by winning the UEFA Super Cup against Villarreal on penalties.

Tuchel's men made an impressive start to the Premier League season as well and were in line to challenge for the league. However, injuries, dropped points and Covid-19 absentees have derailed their season.

The Blues are now hanging on to their third spot (47 points from 24 games). Tottenham Hotspur, however, have the chance to steal that place from them should they win all their games in hand. Conte's men are on 36 points after 20 games. It means Chelsea's top four chances are under threat at the moment.