3 Chelsea stars worried about contract renewal as Roman Abramovich puts club for sale - Reports

Chelsea stars Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, and Andreas Christensen are all in the final year of their contracts.

There have been no progress in renewal talks, but now there is another new challenge - the sale of the club itself. The Blues' billionaire owner Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale on Wednesday.

Why is Roman Abramovich selling Chelsea?

The Russian billionaire came under immense public pressure due to his reported ties with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who recently invaded Ukraine. That has led to countries in western Europe and North America impose economic sanctions on Russia and its allies.

Several Russian billionaires, who are believed to be politically influential, have seen their assets seized. Abramovich has a personal mansion and Chelsea as his prized assets in the United Kingdom. In fear of seeing these assets seized by the British government, Abramovich has decided to put them up for sale.

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The futures of the three Chelsea defenders

The first is the case of Antonio Rudiger, Chelsea's best defender at the club right now. The German has demanded higher wages - in the region of £200,000 per week - along with a massive signing bonus to stay at the club.

Rudiger has reportedly also been approached by Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG and Manchester United, who are all ready to sign him on a free transfer.

Then there is the matter of extending the contract of club captain Cesar Azpilicueta. The Spaniard joined the club back in 2012, and has established himself as a Blues legend. He has won every trophy at club level. However, with his contract set to expire this summer, Barcelona are keen to acquire his services.

Barcelona are also interested in signing Andreas Christensen, who is in the final few months of his contract at Stamford Bridge. Despite Bayern Munich also being interested in him, Barcelona are believed to be the frontrunners for his signature.

The change of ownership in west London could take a few weeks to get resolved. However, once that happens, the club could be proactive in locking these players down to new deals.

What might also happen is that the new owners might let the trio leave in the summer as they look for a smaller wage bill. These are indeed uncertain times at Stamford Bridge.