Antonio Rudiger: Would Real Madrid, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich be best for Chelsea defender?

Antonio Rudiger could be on the move at the end of the season.

The Chelsea defender is out of contract and from the start of January 2022 has been able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs. It has been reported that Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Juventus have all held talks over a potential move for Rudiger.

But where would be the best move for the Germany international? And which club needs him most? We asked our reporters around Europe for their verdicts....

How likely is it that Real Madrid will sign Rudiger? Real Madrid's plans for next season are all about Kylian Mbappe, and maybe another great name like Erling Haaland, but they shouldn't neglect the defence. After the success of signing David Alaba as a free agent, Rudiger also seems attractive but his high demands could complicate everything.

How much do Real Madrid need Rudiger? Since the start of the season, Real Madrid have shown significant defensive strength. The growth of Eder Militao and the rapid adaptation of Alaba have been important but the exits of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane last summer leaves space for another high-level player.

Would Rudiger be a good fit for Real Madrid? If Alaba and Militao maintain this level, it is difficult for any defender to dream of being a starter at Real Madrid. However, Rudiger's proven level allows him to aspire to this position. The other question would be: is he willing to accept a role as substitute?

There have been reports about demands for big wages, would Real Madrid pay that? Right now, salary limits are a big problem in Spanish football. Barcelona are looking for a way to register Ferran Torres and at Real Madrid they expect Mbappe, who will obviously not have a low salary. On the other hand, last summer it was possible to release the great burden of the salary of Ramos, so the puzzle could work.

How likely is it that PSG will sign Rudiger? It's difficult to know but Rudiger is of course a target because of his contract situation. But director of football Leonardo rejected him a few months ago when Thomas Tuchel wanted him at PSG. So I'm not sure that Leonardo is really keen on Rudiger, even if he is now very tempting for many clubs.

How much do PSG need Rudiger? PSG's defence might be an issue for the coming months as Marquinhos still has a very high value in the market – L'Equipe reported a few weeks ago that Chelsea made a huge offer last summer which was rejected by PSG – Presnel Kimpembe is considering a move because he doesn't feel the support of the club and Ramos isn't at the level we all excepted. All other defenders (Thilo Kehrer, Abdou Diallo) have failed in their mission to be a consistent back-up so Rudiger might be an option next summer.

Would Rudiger be a good fit for PSG? Maybe in a three-man defence he might bring some aggression and physical dominance that PSG have lacked this season, but Mauricio Pochettino doesn't look so keen on a 3-5-2 system.

There have been reports about demands for big wages, would PSG pay that? Yes. Welcome to PSG! Wages are not a problem for PSG as long as they really want a player.

How likely is it that Bayern will sign Rudiger? Bayern Munich haven't announced a big transfer target for next summer yet. But if Niklas Sule leaves the club in the summer, they need a new central defender. For this reason Bayern have Rudiger on their list. But I think Bayern have a higher priority: try and negotiate an extension with Sule. Rudiger, however, will not want to wait for a decision and would like to have clarity about his future at an early stage. That's why I think a transfer to Bayern is unlikely.

How much do Bayern need Rudiger? Antonio Rudiger is a tall, robust player who is strong in the tackle. He is also quite fast and a strong header of the ball - I think every club wants to have such a player. Furthermore, Sule's contract runs out at the end of the season. If he leaves, Bayern definitely needs a new central defender like Rudiger.

Would Rudiger be a good fit for Bayern? Yes he would. He won the Champions League with Chelsea, he’s a German international - that’s the type of player Bayern Munich is looking for. In addition, Rudiger already knows many players from the German national team, so it should be easy for him to settle in. He should also not need too much time to get used to the game, especially when it comes to playing together with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and the two midfielders Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich. Furthermore Rudiger is a flexible player who can play in a flat back three and flat back four, which is important because coach Julian Nagelsmann loves to change systems.

There have been reports about big wages, would Bayern pay that? According to media reports, Rudiger currently earns €6.5 million at Chelsea and would demand double that if his contract is extended. These demands probably speak against a move to Bayern because the club has suffered financially from the pandemic and is no longer prepared to meet every salary demand. The most prominent example is David Alaba. Although he has been one of the undisputed top performers for many years and has won numerous titles with Bayern, they did not extend his contract because his salary demands were too high. Instead, Alaba went to Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer. It is very unlikely that Bayern will make an exception to the salary issue for Rudiger.

How likely is it that Juventus will sign Rudiger? I would say 0%. Juve at this moment have other problems. The midfield is in difficulty, the attack scores little. The only healthy department is the defence. Rudiger could only re-enter a Juventus conversation if Matthijs de Ligt leaves.

How much do Juventus need Rudiger? Considering Giorgio Chiellini's physical problems, a new defender would still be useful for Juventus. The problem, however, with the Bianconeri is to understand what will happen in two to three months from now. Their moves are almost totally dependent on Champions League qualification and they are currently fifth in Serie A.

Would Rudiger be a good fit for Juventus? In recent seasons, Rudiger has learned to play Thomas Tuchel's way: aggressive and forward. I don't know how it could relate to Max Allegri's reactive football. I am doubtful.

There have been reports about big wages, would Juventus pay that? Without Paulo Dybala and De Ligt, Juventus would be able to pay Rudiger's (and another top player's) salary. With the two of them contracted, I don't think so.