Chelsea transfer news: Antonio Rudiger set to make Chelsea move from Stuttgart

Chelsea are reportedly closing in on a £20m deal to sign Stuttgart centre-back Antonio Rudiger, according to the Metro.

Rudiger, 22, had also interested Premier League champions Chelsea, but Serie A Roma appear to have won the race to sign him.

After losing Alessio Romagnoli to AC Milan this summer, the Giallorossi identified the Germany defender as the Italian Under-21 international’s replacement.

The only issue beyond agreeing a fee with the German Bundesliga outfit is that the player is now sidelined following knee surgery and is not expected to be fit until the first week in September.

While the exact amounts have not been released, it is believed that Rudiger will come on a loan deal with an optional purchase clause.

The 22-year-old defender missed large portions of last season due to injury but did enough in his limited appearances to attract interest from clubs such as Roma and Chelsea.

Having represented Germany from U18’s upwards, Rudiger debutised for the senior side against Poland in May 2014 and has now earned six caps for his country.