Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel is still interested in bringing in Chelsea center-back Antonio Rudiger in January.
Tuchel wanted to land his compatriot in the previous transfer window, but ultimately failed to take Rudiger among the reigning French champions this summer.
However, Rudiger’s lack of involvement at Stamford Bridge so far in this campaign has encouraged Tuchel to remain determined to seek a transfer for the Germany international.
The Parisian reported that the PSG manager had “not changed his mind” regarding Rudiger’s signing, and that the club “will do anything” to strengthen the squad in the next transfer window.
The French giants currently don’t have many options in this area of the pitch, with Presnel Kimpembe and Marquinhos being the team’s only quality natural center-backs. Adding Rudiger would therefore give options a boost.
The deal is more than plausible, given that the German has not been a key player in Chelsea’s season so far. Rudiger has only played once in the Premier League and has been used four times in the Champions League. He was marginalized by the arrival of Thiago Silva and the rebirth of Kurt Zouma’s form, the duo forming a solid partnership at the heart of the Blues’ backline this campaign.
Le Parisien’s report also adds that the deal looks “just as complicated as it was a few weeks ago,” although the article does not provide an explanation of why. In any case, PSG tend to have their man more often than not, especially when the target is struggling for first-team football.
The reigning Ligue 1 champions are currently in third place in the standings. While they’ve won more matches than any other team in the division, it’s the fact that they’ve lost four of their first 16 games that let them down – one reason why the introduction of ‘defensive options would be valuable.
