Hours after missing out on the striker that manager Antonio Conte desperately wanted, Chelsea announced the signing of defender Antonio Rudiger from Roma in a deal worth £31m. With add-ons the fee could rise to as much as £35m.
The 24-year-old has signed a five year deal with the Premier League champions.
After the move, Rudiger told Chelsea’s official website:
‘It’s a great feeling because not every player has the opportunity to join a huge club like this.
‘I am looking forward to meeting up with my new team-mates and I’m very proud to officially become a Chelsea player.’
Technical director Michael Emenalo said:
“Antonio is still young but is experienced at club and international level and possesses all the requisite attributes to thrive in the Premier League.
“We have been aware of him for some time, and we are confident he will fit in well with the squad.”
Chelsea began their summer recruitment with the acquisition of free agent goalkeeper Willy Caballero at the beginning of July, but suffered a setback when Manchester United beat them to the £75m signing of Romelu Lukaku from Everton.
A £35m deal for Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko is expected to be confirmed in the coming days, while talks are ongoing over the possible £61m signing of Alex Sandro from Juventus.
Missing out on Lukaku, however, means the Premier League champions will be forced to look elsewhere for a replacement for Diego Costa, who remains likely to be sold to Atletico Madrid, with Alvaro Morata and Andrea Belotti high on Conte’s wish list.
