Man United eye Antonio Rudiger as Rangnick holds advantage in transfer race | OneFootball

Transfer News: Manchester United to target Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger amidst Ralf Rangnick advantage

According to the Spanish news outlet Marca, Manchester United are planning to target Chelsea centre-back, Antonio Rudiger, with Ralf Rangnick having an advantage over others in the transfer race. There have been lots of talks surrounding the subject of what his future will be next season.

Rudiger will see his contract with the Blues expire at the end of this season. He is legally able to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs this month if he decides to move elsewhere when the current campaign ends. There have been meetings with his representatives from various clubs, and Man United are also vying for his services.

The German has rejected a deal from the West London club worth £140,000-a-week, which would not even place him in the list of the top ten earners at Stamford Bridge. He has asked for a salary package of £220,000-a-week as he felt that would match his performance on the pitch, and Chelsea’s offer would have naturally irritated him.

While fresh talks have started, things are far from being completed, which has opened a pathway for the Red Devils to try their chances to sign the 28-year-old. His agent, Sehr Senesie, has a good relationship with Rangnick, which they are looking to take advantage of amidst these negotiations. Whether that would assist them or not would only be known in due time.

Does Man Utd have a chance?

A transfer between two direct rivals is difficult to finalise for obvious reasons. One could point towards Nemanja Matic, but the circumstances and context were different in his case. The Blues defender is still in his prime and is performing at a top level.

The German international has a great relationship with the supporters at the Bridge, so should he move to Old Trafford, it would create a hostile relationship between them. Not to mention it is Thomas Tuchel who revived his career when the former took over the managerial role after Frank Lampard. Whether he would throw all that away and join us would need to be seen in the months to come.

Since Juventus, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are in the race to sign the Premier League superstar, joining them would be a better solution than us for the above reasons. Then again, there have been high profile cases in the past when players have moved to their direct rivals.

Whether the Red Devils coach would assist in finalising such a move would need to be seen. Until we receive information from reliable sources, we have to be composed about the matter. But the club should do their best in the meantime by taking advantage of the relationship to boost our chances for a move in the future.