Ex-Arsenal ace Mesut Ozil fires Chelsea clear transfer message with Erling Haaland claim
Chelsea are missing the presence of 2021 Champions League winning defender Antonio Rudiger, says former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil. The German was highly complimentary of his compatriot after Rudiger was praised by his current manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Having left Stamford Bridge in 2022, just weeks after Chelsea was taken over by the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital lead consortium, Rudiger has gone on to cement himself as one of the best centre-backs in world football. He is now part of a Real Madrid side top of La Liga and looking to prove a point in the Champions League, too.
Rudiger was a central part to the incredible Thomas Tuchel turnaround in 2021, going from outcast under Frank Lampard and expected to leave with little complaint from fans, to a sure favourite who filled his next 18 months with memorable moments. However, under the sanctions imposed on the Blues following Roman Abramovich's from the UK government after Russia's invasion of Ukraine over allaged links to Vladimir Putin, Rudiger was unable to negotiate a new deal in London.
He left in 2022 as a free agent, signing with Real that same summer, and went on to win the Super Cup, Club World Cup and Spanish Cup in his first year. Now, though, it is his absence at Chelsea that is being most notably felt.
Writing on Twitter after Ancelotti said 'Rudiger is playing at his best," Ozil was full of praise for the 30-year-old. «Prime Toni Rüdiger is just the world's best defender at the moment [fire emoji]» he said. «Incredible season for my former club Real Madrid.
»You can also ask Haaland or Osimhen how good he is! Look what has happened with Chelsea after he left … they are missing his mentality every day … [punch emoji]."
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