Chelsea have been advised to re-sign a 'phenomenal' Real Madrid player to address one of their biggest weaknesses at Stamford Bridge. Following a promising start to his tenure in west London, things went wrong for the now-sacked Liam Rosenior, who replaced Enzo Maresca in January. The Blues were not only beaten but humiliated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, losing 8-2 on aggregate, and then suffered five consecutive defeats without scoring for the first time since 1912.
Most pundits agree that Chelsea's two biggest issues are at centre-back and in goal, with defensive frailties contributing to the disastrous run that led to Rosenior's dismissal. Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen have both made high-profile mistakes this season, while the centre-back options are promising but lack experience. Manchester United legend Gary Neville has repeatedly stated that Chelsea need to sign an 'experienced centre-back' to guide the younger players.
Brazilian great Thiago Silva fulfilled that role for four seasons but left Stamford Bridge in 2024 to return to boyhood club Fluminense. Antonio Rudiger could have succeeded Silva, but he left Chelsea after five years in 2022, joining Real Madrid on a free transfer. Former Premier League midfielder Charlie Adam believes it was a mistake for Chelsea to allow Rudiger to leave and named the German as the 'ideal person' to 'fill the void'.
Re-signing Rudiger is doubtful for several reasons, not least Chelsea's policy of primarily signing young players with resale value, but Adam says they should set aside that strategy to bring the two-time Champions League winner back. 'They should never have let him go or allowed him to leave,' Adam said on Sky Sports. 'I understand it was Real Madrid he joined, but they never should have got to that position where he could leave. He's phenomenal. I've said before that he's the ideal person that Chelsea need back. When Chelsea had Thiago Silva, he was so important; Rudiger could fill the void as long as Chelsea get over this policy of only signing young players.'
Rudiger has made over 170 appearances for Real Madrid since moving to the Bernabeu in 2022. The 33-year-old is out of contract in the summer, but reports in Spain suggest he is close to signing an extension to remain in Madrid for at least one more season.
