Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has agreed a four-year contract with Italian giants Juventus, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Chelsea were in contract talks with the centre-back, but the situation with the ownership changed things. The German will be a free agent at the end of the season and as a result, is allowed to speak to foreign clubs.

Rudiger was asking to be made one of the highest-paid players at Chelsea and is set to earn €6.5m a year at Juve. The report also states that Italian midfielder Jorginho is also being eyed by the Bianconeri, but a deal is nowhere near completion.

Chelsea bought Rudiger from Roma for £29m in the summer of 2017. The 29-year-old has been on fine form for them ever since fellow countryman Thomas Tuchel arrived, helping lead the London club to Champions League glory and most recently the Club World Cup.

Juventus look to have beaten competition from several elite clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid and PSG to land the centre-half. The signing of Rudiger will mark another free transfer for Juve over the last few years, with Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey and PSG’s Adrien Rabiot the most notable recent ones. 

The Italian club recently splashed the cash on Fiorentinal’s Dusan Vlahovic despite registering losses due to the pandemic. The economic constraints plus the failed launch of European Super League mean Juve will have to be clever in the market, making full use of smart bargains and free transfers.