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Euro giants ready to pounce if Tuchel can’t persuade Chelsea to protect trio

A trio of European heavyweights are waiting in the wings for a key Chelsea star who is among three players Thomas Tuchel is battling to keep, per a report.

Since taking charge at Stamford Bridge in January, Tuchel has been everything Chelsea could’ve hoped for and more. The German guided the club to just their second ever Champions League trophy in May, with their run to the final thanks in large part to their rock-solid defence.

Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger formed an impenetrable barrier at the heart of their five-man backline.

Silva has had to play second fiddle to Andreas Christensen this season. However, the Dane has performed to such a high standard that there has been no discernible drop in quality.

But according to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Christensen, Azpilicueta and Rudiger are causing Tuchel consternation.

That’s because all three defenders are in the final years of their contracts. Given their importance to Tuchel’s side, the manager is said to have ‘spoken’ with the club’s hierarchy, seemingly with the aim of pushing them towards handing out new contracts.

Of the three, Rudiger is the likeliest player to attract widespread attention. While it’s acknowledged each star has suitors, Rudiger’s would have the greater spending power and potentially be willing to match or exceed a Blues contract offer.

Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Juventus are all namechecked as monitoring the German’s situation.

Along with Rudiger, Christensen and Azpilicueta are described as ‘fully trusted’ by Tuchel. Furthermore, it’s stated the he could not begin to ‘contemplate’ a Chelsea backline without them.

The ball, therefore, is firmly in Chelsea’s court to satisfy their manager’s demands.

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Meanwhile, Chelsea are reportedly looking into the potential signing of Leroy Sane from Bayern Munich, a player who has already received praise from one Premier League star.

On Sunday, the Express revealed that Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is a fan of the winger, who scored 39 goals during a four-year spell with Manchester City. They wrote that any one of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Hakim Ziyech or Christian Pulisic could be offered as part of a player-plus-cash deal for Sane.

It’s believed that Bayern will accept bids in the region of £54m for his services. One potential rival has already provided his verdict on the pacy forward.

City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan was asked about Sane in the summer. He told German source Sport1 (via football.london): “He’s someone who has this understanding of playing all of the time. And when he plays, then he’s amazing.

“I know of him from our time with Man City. At Man City, you had the feeling that there was no way around him.”

READ MORE: Tuchel on collision course with Chelsea over trusted star club tried to sell

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