Tottenham signing this talented 27-year-old Chelsea outcast would ease a nagging issue for Mourinho

Why Tottenham should reignite interest in Antonio Rudiger in January

According to Football Insider (h/t Football.London), Tottenham have been tipped by former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips to make a renewed attempt to sign out-of-favour Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger when the transfer window reopens in January.

The Lilywhites had been linked with a move for the 27-year-old centre-back before the international summer deadline, with Rudiger even holding positive talks with Jose Mourinho over a potential switch across the English capital. However, the German international eventually backed out of a move to Tottenham due to fears of a backlash from the Chelsea fans. (Athletic h/t Metro)

Profile

Antonio Rudiger shot to prominence with VfB Stuttgart in Germany and went on to enjoy a productive spell at AS Roma in Italy before completing a move to Chelsea back in the summer of 2017. The 27-year-old had been one of the mainstays of the Blues’ backline over the past three seasons, featuring 115 times across all competitions.

However, the German has slipped drastically down the pecking order under Frank Lampard this season, having not featured in any of Chelsea’s first six games in all competitions before the international break.

Rudiger remained an unused substitute on the bench in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Brighton on the opening day of the campaign but has failed to make any matchday squads for the subsequent games. 

A full international for Germany since 2014, Rudiger has accumulated 34 caps for his nation, winning the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup with Die Mannschaft while also featuring at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. 

Rudiger would be a good addition to Tottenham’s ranks

Tottenham enjoyed a successful summer window with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Matt Doherty, Joe Hart, Sergio Reguilon, Gareth Bale, and Carlos Vinicius all coming through the door at North London before the deadline.

The Lilywhites managed to add some much-needed depth and quality to several areas of their squad but the lack of depth at the heart of the defence remains a pressing concern for Mourinho.

Jan Vertonghen’s departure on a free transfer followed by the loan exit of Juan Foyth has rendered Tottenham short of cover in the centre-back department. Mourinho has rotated the likes of Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier to good effect so far, but things could be a lot more challenging when fixtures start coming thick and fast later on in the campaign.

To that end, Tottenham ideally need to look for another established centre-back during the mid-season trading window. Dier has had his fair share of troubles with injuries while Sanchez, though a quality young defender, has shown some lapses in concentration. 

To put things into perspective, Tottenham reigniting interest in Antonio Rudiger in January would go a long way towards solving a nagging issue. The German international has far too much quality to be gathering dust at Chelsea. Spurs should once again try to convince him to switch boats if his situation doesn’t change.

Rudiger has already established himself as a quality defender at the Premier League level and it goes without saying that Tottenham would have a readymade replacement for Vertonghen on their hands if they manage to get a deal over the line for the German. 

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Verdict

Suffice to say, Antonio Rudiger looks more than capable of sorting out Tottenham’s conundrum at the back. He still has his best years ahead of him at 27, thus making the Chelsea man worth a significant outlay for the Lilywhites.