Antonio Rudiger has agreed a deal to join Real Madrid this summer, according to reports.
The former Roma stopper is set to become a free agent at the end of June and can therefore leave Chelsea for free.
And now, according to The Athletic, Rudiger has, on Tuesday, signed for Real Madrid on a four-year deal that will see him net between €9-10m a season:
🚨 Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has today signed for Real Madrid. 4yr deal, €9/10m net + joining bonus & €400m release clause. Medical already done, official announcement after #UCL final @TheAthleticUK after @FabrizioRomano report earlier #RMFC#CFChttps://t.co/yrgLt2p88I
Rudiger is also believed to have netted a 35 million euro signing on fee:
Done deal: Antonio Rüdiger joins Real Madrid. 4yrs deal, salary of €6.8m net + bonuses. Additionally the top defender and his agent Sahr Senesie (brother) get a huge signing bonus of €35m, sources close to the player telling us. ⚪️ #RMFC#CFC@kerry_hau@SPORT1
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Rudiger’s Chelsea stint
Rudiger has been on Chelsea’s books since July of 2017. All told, Rudiger has featured 199 times in all competitions for Chelsea, across which he has scored 12 goals and provided seven assists.
But Rudiger’s standing at Chelsea have varied a fair bit, especially over the course of the 2020/21 campaign.
Throughout much of Frank Lampard’s time at the club, Rudiger proved something of a fringe player.
During the first half of last campaign, for example, the stopper was afforded just two Premier League appearances.
However, Frank Lampard was then sacked, before Thomas Tuchel took the reins at the back end of January last year.
And since the latter’s appointment as Chelsea boss, Rudiger has seen his game-time dramatically increase, becoming a key cog in the side that won the Champions League last term.
Now though, Chelsea are to be faced with the unenviable task of finding a replacement for the defender.
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has provided a simple six word answer when asked about the upcoming north London Derby by Arsenal fans.
The game between Arsenal and Tottenham threatens to be the biggest between the pair in at least a decade, perhaps even since Arsenal won the league at White Hart Lane in 2004, with Champions League qualification on the line.
Arsenal have not seen Champions League football at the Emirates Stadium since the 2016/17 season. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
The Gunners currently have a four-point lead over Tottenham with three games to play, and can confirm their Champions League status next season with victory over Spurs. Equally, a draw would mean that one win would be enough to snatch fourth place.
As a result, Tottenham desperately need a win, and even then would have to hope their bitter rivals slip up either against Newcastle United or Everton to stand a chance of qualifying for next season’s premier European competition.
Xhaka sends message
Now, a message has come from the Arsenal camp, via midfield general Granit Xhaka. Tottenham’s Ben Davies warned after his side’s draw with Liverpool that the Gunners are under ‘a lot of pressure to keep it [their run of form] up and do it in the remaining games’.
And, as recorded on social media platform tiktok, a group of Arsenal fans stopped Xhaka in London and asked for his opinion on the upcoming clash.
The Swiss midfielder gave a simple answer. ‘We don’t speak, we do it’.
Whether he and his side will be able to back up the statement with a massive win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against a resilient Antonio Conte side remains another matter entirely.
Manchester United are no doubt set for a busy summer transfer window.
The Red Devils’ current interim boss Ralf Rangnick has suggested the club need anywhere from six to 10 new players in order to rebuild this squad and whilst that seems unlikely to happen in one window, it is clear United have much work to do this summer.
As a result, it is not at all surprising to see Manchester United transfer rumours already piling up as we head towards the end of the season.
And now, 101 have rounded up the latest Manchester United transfer rumours from the last day or so.
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Pau Torres to Manchester?
First up comes an update on Manchester United’s pursuit of a centre-back.
With Harry Maguire struggling for form at club level and both Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly clearly not up to the standard of a top Premier League side, it is obvious United need to add some fresh legs at centre-back.
And, according to Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils are looking to do exactly that, with Villarreal’s Pau Torres one of several central defenders being looked at by the Manchester outfit:
Manchester United are discussing Villarreal’s Pau Torres as one of 3/4 options for the new centre back. No proposal made yet, as it depends on Erik ten Hag decision and Man Utd board changes. 🔴🇪🇸 #MUFC
Elsewhere, Manchester United have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of Christopher Nkunku.
The Frenchman has dominated both the Bundesliga and Europe with RB Leipzig this season, netting 34 and assisting 20 in 50 outings.
However, Leipzig director Oliver Mintzlaff has insisted Nkunku won’t be allowed to leave this summer:
“We have clearly discussed it internally. We won’t let Nkunku leave this summer, we told him and his agent,” Mintzlaff said.
Diallo latest
Finally, Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has left the door open to extending Amad Diallo’s stay at Ibrox beyond this season.
The winger has featured just 10 times for Rangers during his loan spell, but Bronckhorst has not completely ruled out the Ivorian staying put for another term: “Today we could give a lot of players the chance to make minutes. I think Amad is a player who benefits from that. He will get minutes in the last games. You could see what he brings to the team.
“I’m really happy with his performance today and with his behaviour overall. What happens next season, we haven’t discussed his future. Once the decision has to be made about what the squad will look like next year, we will also make a decision about who we want to bring on board.”
Gary Neville has sent a message to Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard after criticism emerged that the club had not given the 29-year-old a proper send-off.
Lingard has spent most of his career to date on the books of Manchester United but, despite excelling in a six-month loan spell with West Ham last season, Lingard has seen his opportunities very limited this term.
The midfielder has made 16 league appearances, but only three of those have come as a starter.
And, with Lingard’s contract up this summer, he is expected to leave the club for free next month.
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As a result, there was seemingly some expectation from the Lingard camp that he would be allowed to make on final appearance at Old Trafford during United’s final home game of the season vs Brentford.
Lingard, though, did not make it off the bench, leading to some criticism from his brother on social media:
Gary Neville has since responded this Lingard’s lack of send-off, simply stating that sometimes it just doesn’t work out:
“There was a lot of nonsense spoken about Lingard,” Neville said on The Gary Neville Podcast. “He’s been at the club a long time and done a good job.
“I’ve seen Bryan Robson and Steve Bruce not play in their last games for the club and not get a send-off in cup finals. They were both great captains and one of them probably is the greatest captain Manchester United have ever had.
“They didn’t get the send-off they wanted so I’m not sure why Lingard deserved it. I was thrown away in West Brom in a toilet – sometimes it just doesn’t work out, Jesse!”
As the season heads towards its end, there is still plenty to play for across the whole Premier League, with relegation, Champions League places and the Champion still to be decided in the final two games (or three, for some).
That means that there is still time for heroes to come forward, and for some to crack. 101 take a look at who excelled, and who struggled, over the weekend.
HOT: Eddie Nketiah
Kept out of the side by an underperforming Alexandre Lacazette for most of the season, Eddie Nketiah has seized his chance firmly with both hands, netting another brace against Leeds United to hand Arsenal another three points and take his goal tally to four in his last four Premier League appearances.
It is perhaps somewhat ironic that a man seemingly set to leave for free this summer is pushing Arsenal to the Champions League, but as his stock continues to rise, his options for his next club continue to improve.
HOT: Everton
Every time a side looks dead and buried, they put together a run of results that defy that idea. Frank Lampard’s Everton are the latest, backing up their 1-0 win over Chelsea with a 2-1 victory against Leicester City.
It means that they move a point clear of the drop zone, with a game in hand on both sides below them, as they look to escape the drop. And, while they are indebted to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, they are picking up vital points.
HOT: Raheem Sterling
Sterling has only seen limited gametime in recent weeks, thanks to the resurgence of Gabriel Jesus, but issued a timely reminder of his qualities in Manchester City’s 5-0 win over Newcastle United.
50 – Raheem Sterling’s opener was his 50th Premier League goal at the Etihad Stadium, becoming the second player to reach the milestone at the ground after Sergio Aguero (106). Nifty. pic.twitter.com/hFebSHqvYQ
The English forward netted twice and was a threat all game, becoming the player with the most goals in the Guardiola era in the process. His contract situation needs to be sorted ASAP.
NOT: Manchester United
To go from being on the right end of hammerings to the wrong, you only have to cross Manchester. A pathetic performance from Ralf Rangnick’s Red Devils saw them suffer their fifth straight away defeat as they were battered 4-0 by a Brighton side that could not believe their luck.
Manchester United have lost by 4+ goals in as many Premier League games this season as they did in Sir Alex Ferguson’s entire time in charge of the club pic.twitter.com/skLLbCVqvY
Time and time again the Seagulls cut through United, who offered little threat themselves. The club are in dire need of a drastic change.
NOT: Watford
A tame 1-0 defeat meant that Watford became the second side this season to be confirmed to be playing Championship football next season, following Norwich straight back down just 12 months after securing promotion.
BREAKING: Watford have been relegated to the Championship after defeat to Crystal Palace.
The sorry 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace, doubly painful as it was Roy Hodgson’s old club that condemned them, means they are likely to lose the likes of Ismaila Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis this summer. They need to find a better plan for success than sacking three managers a season.
NOT: Leeds United and Luke Ayling
Luke Ayling marked his 500th career appearance with an early bath that ensured he will sit out the final three games of the season, contributing to a tame Leeds United defeat. The Yorkshire side replaced iconic boss Marcelo Bielsa but Jesse Marsch has not brought an improvement in results.
As a result, they sit in the relegation zone, and with games against Chelsea, Brighton and Brentford to come before the end of the campaign, they need to find a way to pick up points quickly.
Paul Pogba has reportedly snubbed a switch to Manchester City when his contract with Manchester United runs out this summer, favouring a move abroad amid interest from European giants.
The Frenchman will leave Old Trafford this summer as a free transfer, six years after joining for a then-record fee of £90m. An injury that forced him off during his side’s 4-0 hammering to Liverpool has meant that he has already played his final game for the club, racking up 39 goals and 51 assists in 233 games for the Red Devils.
And, a shock twist came at the beginning of May, when it was revealed that city-rivals Manchester City had made an audacious attempt to take the Frenchman to the Etihad this summer, with Guardiola looking to bolster his midfield and feeling that Pogba’s skillset was well suited to his side.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – APRIL 16: Paul Pogba of Manchester United reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Norwich City at Old Trafford on April 16, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
However, as per the Athletic, the 29-year-old is set to snub the offer made by Guardiola and co., choosing to leave England instead, perhaps understandably given his constant scapegoating in the media.
‘The 2018 World Cup winner is understood to have received a flattering proposal from City and gave serious contemplation to the five-time Premier League champions’, David Ornstein reports.
However, ‘Pogba’s representatives are believed to have informed City that the France international is to continue his career at a different team’, he adds.
Where will he go?
Given his high wage demands, only a handful of clubs can afford to even contemplate signing Pogba. However, those that can are keen. Real Madrid, Paris Saint Germain and former side Juventus are all in the race to lure Pogba to their club, though no decision has been made by the 29-year-old yet.
In two of the three cases, he would be joining the reigning champions of their league, with all three sure to be playing Champions League football next season.
2021/22 has been a season to forget for Manchester United. The Red Devils had what, on paper, looked an excellent summer transfer window.
They would sign Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo – all three world-class players with plenty of experience at the highest level.
However, though said signings were expected to help United, who finished 2nd last season, challenge the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City for the title, that has not come close to transpiring.
A dejected Cristiano Ronaldo during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United at American Express Community Stadium. (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
Instead, the once great Manchester United are on course for their worst-ever finish to a Premier League campaign.
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What is Manchester United’s worst Premier League finish?
Given Sir Alex Ferguson helped United dominate the Premier League from its inception in 1992 to his retirement in 2013, Manchester United have not had that many terrible finishes.
However, since Ferguson left, Manchester United have experienced a massive decline. 2012/13 saw United amass 89 points to clinch the title, but the club have managed to reach the 80-point mark just once since then – in 2017/18 under Jose Mourinho.
Outside of that, United have had two campaigns that ended in them securing 70 or more points, with the remainder all ending in the 60s.
That worst of that bunch came immediately after SAF retired, with David Moyes and then interim boss Ryan Giggs taking the club to a dismal 64 points in 2013/14.
So, given Manchester United are currently only on 58 points and have one game left to play of the current campaign, they are now guaranteed to set a new record for their lowest points total in the Premier League.
The fee Barcelona are set to net following their Champions League qualification has been revealed.
Barcelona would secure their spot in the 2022/23 Champions League on Saturday evening. Xavi Hernandez and co. took on Real Betis, looking to put an end to their patchy run of form that included a surprise Europa League exit at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt.
And, when all was said and done at the Benito Villamarin, that is exactly what Barca managed.
La Blaugrana took the lead in the tie after 76 minutes via Ansu Fati:
Barcelona then pulled one back just three minutes later via Marc Bartra. However, Barcelona were able to snatch a winner at the death via Jordi Alba.
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Barcelona’s Champions League funds
And, as Real Betis are currently 5th in La Liga, a win over them was enough to ensure Barcelona have secured a top-four place with three games left to play.
Given Barcelona were outside of the top-four and there was even some doubt they would secure a Europa League space when Xavi took charge, the former midfielder has done a decent job of getting Barcelona up to 2nd in La Liga.
Now, Mundo Deportivo have revealed how much Barcelona will earn from their Champions League spot.
The Spanish giants are guaranteed to earn just under 50 million euros simply for qualifying for Europe’s most coveted club competition, over 40 million euros more than they would have netted for a Europa League place.
Barcelona are guaranteed to earn €49.75m just for qualifying to the Champions League. Qualifying to the Europa League would have just earned the club €7.85m.
Mikel Arteta has provided a fresh injury update on Ben White ahead of Arsenal’s next outing.
White has been a staple of the Gunners’ backline throughout 2021/22 and, despite a pretty shaky start to the campaign, hehas been a solid edition for the north Londoners.
However, the Englishman has missed Arsenal’s last several games, including their 2-1 win over Leeds United on Sunday.
Arsenal dominated that match and, despite conceding to Diego Llorente in the second half, were able to see off the Peacocks with relative ease.
And now, speaking after that game, Mikel Arteta has provided an update on White, confirming that the form Brighton stopper is expected to be available for the upcoming north London derby.
“I think so [he’ll be available against Tottenham],” Arteta said. “He’s starting to do a little bit of work on the pitch. We want everyone available.”
Arteta on Ben White’s fitness:
“I think so [he’ll be available against Tottenham]. He’s starting to do a little bit of work on the pitch. We want everyone available.”
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Arsenal vs Tottenham
Arsenal will face Tottenham this coming Thursday in the final north London derby of the season.
It is a huge tie for both teams, with a spot in next season’s Champions League very much on the line.
Arsenal head into the game occupying that coveted 4th spot and, thanks to Spurs’ draw with Liverpool on Saturday, Mikel Arteta and co. now boast a four-point lead over their bitter rivals.
As a result, if Arsenal win on Thursday, they will secure a Champions League place for the first time since 2017.
Arsenal are facing competition for £40m rated Youri Tielemans as Real Madrid stand ready to pounce on the Belgian should the Gunners fail to qualify for Champions League football this season.
The Leicester City central midfielder is set to leave the King Power Stadium this summer, with just one year left to run on his contract in the midlands at the end of this season and no signs that he is planning on penning a new one.
This means that he will be available at a cut-price, with a fee as low as £25m even being mentioned for the 24-year-old, who is valued at double that by transfermarkt.
Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans during the Premier League match at the King Power Stadium, Leicester. Picture date: Saturday April 23, 2022. (Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
It has caught the attention of Arsenal, who are keen to strengthen in central midfield this summer. And, as per the Sun, ‘there is growing confidence from the player’s camp and the Emirates club that Tielemans will be an Arsenal player next season’
Real Madrid in the wings
However, there is a catch, in the form of Champions League football, with Real Madrid waiting in the wings should the Gunners fail to make 4th in the Premier League table their own.
And the Spanish side would have little problem convincing the Belgian to swap England for Spain.
As per Belgian football journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Tielemans has already told those closest to him that he would prefer a move to Spain over remaining in England this summer.
He claims that ‘Youri Tielemans told those around him his preference for a departure to Spain’, something which means that the likes of both Madrid sides and Barcelona will surely be taking notice.
In the case of Los Blancos, it could be a formality, with Tavolieri adding that ‘Real Madrid, interested, could position themselves concretely in the coming weeks’.
That, however, depends on how Arsenal finish the season.
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