Tottenham Hotspur join race to secure Barcelona target

Barcelona defensive target wanted by Premier League giants, Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham Hotspur are the latest team to join Barcelona and Inter Milan in the race to sign Chelsea defender, Antonio Ruediger. The German center-back was one of the more consistent defenders last year for the Blues but with the addition of Thiago Silva, the player has now dropped to fifth choice defender.

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Due to the size of Chelsea’s squad, Frank Lampard has agreed to let go of some players, Ross Barkley went to Aston Villa and Rudiger could also be off to Spain or Italy. The Barca defense has been a serious weakness of the club and they need to desperately replace the 33-year-old Gerard Pique. Eric Garcia was the first choice replacement but Manchester City will not let go of the youngster until they find a suitable replacement.

Thus Rudiger seemed like another option for the Catalans. The 27-year-old would not cost them too much and is a solid no-nonsense defender. He is a rugged player who is not afraid to make crucial tackles but often makes errors which can lead to unnecessary danger. This can however be fixed by Ronald Koeman’s coaching.

The problem arises now that Spurs are also looking to sign him. Although the Blues would not like to sell to a direct rival, Rudiger would prefer to stay in London rather than moving to Spain. His family has adapted well to the London climate and lifestyle and he would not like to uproot his family.

This makes things a bit trucker for the La Liga side but they should not give up the race so soon as they must find an answer to their defensive woes. Pique at the age of 33 is no longer the enigmatic defender that he used to be and even though Rudiger is not a very big name, he could be a temporary solution or even a permanent one for the club.

Should Barca compete for Ruediger or look for someone else?