According to rumors, Antonio Rudiger has opted to leave Chelsea at the conclusion of the season.

The 29-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season, and there had been no agreement on a contract extension prior to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's sanction.

Because Chelsea is undergoing a takeover, they are forbidden to engage in any transfer activity, including contract extensions, leaving Rudiger's future uncertain this summer.

His camp has spoken to many clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, and Manchester United, to learn who would be interested in signing the central defender this summer on a free transfer. 

Rudiger wanted to have his future resolved in the next few weeks by early May, and now the Athletic have confirmed a decision has been made. 

He has opted to leave Chelsea at the end of the current season and will choose his next club next week. 

It has been claimed that Real Madrid have agreed terms and are close to finalising a move for Rudiger. 

The Athletic also reported that Rudiger hadn't been given a timeline on when talks could resume with Chelsea amid uncertainty over the takeover and when a sale could be completed, which has played a "major factor" in why he has now made the decision to part ways. 

This will come as a huge blow for Tuchel this summer, who is also losing Andreas Christensen to Barcelona, with club captain Cesar Azpilicueta also heavily linked with a departure to Spain despite his one-year contract extension being triggered.