According to The Athletic, Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger will join Real Madrid as a free agent this summer after signing a four-year contract.

The Germany international signed a contract extension until 2026 earlier today, and will join the club at the end of the current season, when his contract with the Premier League team expires.

Rudiger is expected to earn between €9 and €10 million per year after taxes, plus a signing-on fee, which is much more than he was earning at Chelsea and what they offered to extend his stay.

The 29-year-old has already had a medical, and his contract at the Bernabeu is thought to feature a €400 million release clause, according to sources.

Official confirmation of the move is expected after Real’s involvement in the Champions League final.

The Athletic revealed last month that Rudiger was to leave Chelsea at the culmination of the campaign, and it is understood the defender first told his team-mates that he would be signing for Real Madrid as early as last month.

It was news that came as a blow to the Stamford Bridge side and their coach, Thomas Tuchel. Rudiger has been one of Tuchel’s most dependable players for the past 18 months in particular and helped them to the Champions League title last season.

Chelsea were in talks to retain Rudiger, but after their owner, Roman Abramovich, was sanctioned by the British government in March, negotiations over new signings and contracts were prohibited.

Tuchel last month said that sanctions were a factor in the club’s inability to retain the player.