Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger

Chelsea have reportedly decided star defender Andreas Christensen will not be sold once he returns from his loan deal with Borussia Monchengladbach, while AS Roma are ready to move on former Blues transfer target Antonio Rudiger in January.

As reported by the Daily Mail (h/t Alex Harris of the Daily Star), speculation regarding Christensen's future has been rampant for several weeks. La Liga giants Barcelona are eyeing the 20-year-old, and the player himself has suggested he'd be open to a permanent move to Monchengladbach, per the Sun's Alan Nixon:

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I have not decided yet. I'm not going to do it at the moment. When it comes to me, I'll decide next summer.

For me, both things are possible (staying or leaving). I don't want to be distracted, and I can't decide alone. The question is if the clubs can agree a fee.

"

Manager Antonio Conte has been looking for veteran options to fix his ailing defence and that in turn made it difficult to promise Christensen much playing time when he does return. But per the Mail (h/t Harris), the Blues have now made up their mind, and they'll move Christensen into the first-team squad when his loan expires.

The Denmark international moved to the Blues' academy in 2012 but barely featured for the senior side before he was shipped off to Germany.

He has blossomed in the Bundesliga, however, establishing himself as one of Europe's most promising defensive prospects. Here's a look at some of his highlights:

He's not just a physical bruiser or a great tackler―he's also a fantastic distributor who is comfortable with the ball at his feet, and this likely triggered Barcelona's interest. Per Squawka Football, his passing has been fantastic of late:

According to Nixon, Conte is still eyeing a move for Juventus' Leonardo Bonucci, but such a transfer seems almost impossible. Christensen's age makes him a tantalising option, however, especially if the Blues can combine him with Kurt Zouma.

Whether Conte has the time to let two youngsters find synergy and adapt to each other is a question only the Italian can answer, but keeping hold of the Dane is undoubtedly the right decision, given his tremendous potential.

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Another potential defensive reinforcement is Rudiger, who was a target last summer. Per Il Tempo (h/t Metro's Lewis Rudd), Chelsea and Roma were negotiating a deal before the Germany international suffered a serious knee injury that kept him out of the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament.

Rudiger recently took to Twitter to give an update on his recovery, revealing he's almost ready to return to full action:

According to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Calciomercato's Steve Mitchell), Roma are willing to move Rudiger on in January to raise money for attacking reinforcements. The 23-year-old will have to prove his fitness before then, but if he's ready to go, he could be the top defensive player on the market at the midway point of the season.

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

Rudiger is a phenomenal athlete who has improved rapidly during his time in Italy. At Stuttgart, he frequently made mistakes with his positioning, but the Giallorossi have managed to eliminate those issues, and his long-term potential looks bright.

Given his recent injury concerns, another defender might bring in a bigger fee in January, prompting Roma to keep hold of Rudiger for now and move on someone like Kostas Manolas. If Rudiger does become available, he could be a fantastic value signing for the Blues―although Paris Saint-Germain are said to be keeping a close eye on the defender as well.