Manchester United and Liverpool ‘make contact’ to sign ex-Chelsea star on free transfer

Manchester United and Liverpool have registered interest in signing ex-Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer this summer, according to reports.

Rudiger spent five seasons at Stamford Bridge, winning the FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League before joining Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2022.

In Spain, the 33-year-old has continued to add to his trophy haul, winning La Liga and a second Champions League with the Spanish giants.

Despite that, the German defender has yet to agree on an extension to his current contract, which is set to expire at the end of the season.

And reports from Italian outlet TuttoSport suggest that a host of top European clubs are monitoring the situation ahead of the summer transfer window.

Juventus missed out on signing Rudiger four years ago and are reportedly keen to lure Rudiger to Serie A this summer.

Head coach Luciano Spalletti is said to be a huge admirer of Rudiger after the pair worked together at Roma between 2015 and 2017.

However, the report adds that there is also significant interest in Rudiger from the Premier League, most notably arch-rivals United and Liverpool, who have both made contact with the player to confirm their interest.

United could be looking for defensive reinforcements over the summer, but are reportedly close to agreeing a contract extension with Harry Maguire to extend his stay at the club.

Liverpool, meanwhile, appear to have made no material progress in a new deal for Ibrahima Konate, who has endured an indifferent season this campaign and is out of contract this summer.

The Reds have already bolstered their defence with the signing of talented young defender Jeremy Jacquet, who will join from Rennes in the summer, and will hope to welcome Giovanni Leoni back from a serious knee injury, too.

But defence is still likely to be an area which the Merseyside club will look to improve over the summer, particularly with Konate’s future uncertain and Virgil van Dijk entering the final year of his deal.

Despite the interest from United and Liverpool, reports in Spain suggest that Real could also opt to extend Rugier’s stay at the Bernabeu.

The 33-year-old has endured a difficult season with injuries, but has now started Real’s last seven games in all competitions and impressed in the 5-1 aggregate win over Manchester City in the Champions League.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.