Real Madrid agree free transfer deal with Chelsea defender

Real Madrid CF may have secured yet another bargain deal for this coming summer transfer window. According to the latest reports, the club has reached an agreement with Chelsea FC defender Antonio Rudiger, who will arrive on a free transfer after his current contract with the Blues expires at the end of the season.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the an agreement has been reached, and it is now just a matter of sorting out the finer details in the contract before the move is made official. The contract itself is yet to be signed, but there appears to be no reason why the move should not push through.

The Chelsea centre-back was targeted by Los Blancos in the past, but they could not ask for a better time to take the transfer over the line with the player now available for free. Chelsea are unable to negotiate contract extensions with their players at the moment, due to the fact that their owner, Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government. The Russian oligarch has had his assets frozen, including the club itself, which has been allowed to be put up for sale in order to continue to operate. However, no transfer deals can be made until the club is turned over to its new owner.

With the club in limbo, the German international has reportedly put his fate in his own hands, asking his agent to get in touch with Los Blancos. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has also confirmed that Rudiger will be making an exit this summer.

It has been no secret that Real Madrid were keeping tabs on the 29-year-old, with commentators even saying that he was auditioning for a role when Chelsea visited the Santiago Bernabeu earlier this month for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. Indeed, Rudiger was in fine form on the night, scoring in Chelsea's 3-2 victory. However, a first leg cushion allowed Los Blancos to advance 5-4 on aggregate.

Rudiger has had a successful run with Chelsea, making 196 appearances since 2017. He was also part of the squad that eliminated Real Madrid last season on their way to lifting the Champions League trophy.