Juventus have another rival for Antonio Rudiger, as Barcelona met with his agents last week. The center-back is on an expiring contract. He is looking around amid the uncertainty surrounding his current team’s future. His initial requests were too high for the Blaugrana, Sport informs.
According to the Spanish publication, the German international asked for €7M wages plus a sizeable signing bonus. The Catalan giants are not keen on striking a deal at those sums and elected to bide time. Coach Xavi appreciates his skill-set and experience. However, the club is not going to break the bank to put him under contract. They have already captured Andreas Christensen in the same role, and they are in talks to re-up with Araujo.
Barcelona will have another summit with the entourage of Rudiger down the line, which leaves an opening for Juventus. At this stage, he is not close to agreeing to terms with any side. PSG, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are also in the mix. The defender will reportedly wait for Chelsea’s ownership to be sorted before committing to a different side, as he is open to staying.
The Blaugrana are hopeful that waiting it out will cause the defender to lower his demands. Juventus have an advantage over Barcelona and the other contenders, as they would pay fewer taxes on Rudiger thanks to fiscal benefits for foreigners moving to Italy. The biggest threat for the Bianconeri might come from Chelsea, although it could be a while before they are operational.