Chelsea is expected to be sold in the coming weeks, with the new owner hoping to complete the acquisition by the end of May. It's been an emotionally draining process for everyone involved so far. Fortunately, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel. The Raine Group's preferred bidders are the Todd Boehly consortium, Sir Martin Broughton's group, and Stephen Pagliuca. The Ricketts family unexpectedly dropped out of the race recently, resulting in a collective sigh of relief from supporters all over the world.
Regardless of who becomes the next owner of the Blues, one thing is certain: they will have enormous shoes to fill. During his last two decades as owner, Roman Abramovich has guided this club into the upper echelons of world football. Chelsea has won every trophy available to it during that time, thanks to the Russian oligarch's substantial investment. Without a doubt, Abramovich's successor will want to make a good first impression in the coming months. There is no better way to accomplish this than to sign one of the Blues' pending free agents to a new long-term contract.
Chelsea's new owner should prioritize re-signing Antonio Rudiger.
Antonio Rudiger's contract extension should be Chelsea's top priority after the takeover is completed. Whether it's Marina Granovskaia or a new owner, the Blues need to get the Germans' representatives to the table as soon as possible. Since Thomas Tuchel took over as manager in west London 15 months ago, the 29-year-old has been incredible, hardly putting a foot wrong.
Wednesday's meltdown against Arsenal only served to highlight how crucial Rudiger is to an otherwise average defensive unit.
Andreas Christensen is already on his way out this summer, joining Barcelona on a free transfer. Cesar Azpilicueta, who has flirted with the Catalan club despite triggering a one-year extension in his contract, could be next. A potential Rudiger departure would leave Chelsea with at least three defensive holes to fill. This would be a costly project for any club owner on the planet, let alone a new group of investors who are expected to spend more than £3 billion to acquire the club.
It would be better to simply pay Rudiger £200,000+ per week for the next three or four seasons, saving the club from having to pay transfer fees on top of wages. The rumored departures of Jorginho and N'Golo Kante, as well as a midfield overhaul, will only complicate matters in the coming months.
Not only would re-signing Rudiger save Chelsea money in the long run, but it would also be a clear indication from the new ownership group that Tuchel will be supported. During his tenure at the club, the German manager has won three major trophies (the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup). He's also appeared in two FA Cup finals (one of which is still pending) and one Carabao Cup final.
Tuchel is clearly the man to lead the club forward, but the new owners must also prioritize his long-term retention. The manager clearly adores his compatriot, so the move would go a long way toward getting that relationship off to a good start.
Finally, many supporters are skeptical of the possibility of American ownership. There is a 66% chance that the next head honcho in SW6 will be from the United States (Boehly or Pagliuca), so there will be some skepticism due to the spending history—or lack thereof—of other English top flight owners.
Stepping up and retaining Rudiger would be a statement that the new ownership will not allow Chelsea's quality to deteriorate. Over the last two decades, the Blues have established a winning culture that must be maintained during this transition. Rudiger is an important member of the current squad, and hopefully he will be treated as such once the process is completed.
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