Chelsea assessing options amid Antonio Rudiger's contract standoff

Chelsea are assessing central defensive options amid the contract standoff of Antonio Rudiger, Fichajes claims.

The German has entered the final nine months of his contract, and he has yet to commit to a new long-term deal.

The 28-year-old wants around £200,000-a-week to prolong his stay, but the Blues have refused to meet his demands.

This could pave the way for his departure next summer. He can discuss a pre-contract with a foreign club in January.

The Blues are already making a contingency plan in place, and are identifying their potential central defensive targets.

Despite the emergence of Trevoh Chalobah, the club want another centre-back. They may return for Sevilla's Jules Kounde.

Meanwhile, Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt is also on their radar. The Blues are rumoured to be planning a £100 million bid.

Chelsea will be aiming to return to winning ways against Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

They recently suffered a 1-0 Premier League loss to Manchester City, having failed to register a shot on target.