Rudiger's free transfer departure will be cited by Chelsea as one of the £121 million in losses in the fight against spending violations.

The Blues will undergo a significant summer clean-out after posting a staggering £121 million loss for the previous campaign. There is pressure on Todd Boehly to swiftly balance the books or face Financial Fair Play penalties.

Additionally, Chelsea might be compelled to offload its whole starting lineup this summer.

After Roman Abramovich was punished a year ago, Boehly has already partially attributed the loss to "exceptional expenses and loss of revenue."

After being placed on a government license up until the takeover on May 28, Chelsea were prohibited from receiving money for two months.

Moreover, the Blues were unable to negotiate new player contracts.

According to reports, they will also use Rudiger's inability to reach a new deal as a potential loss of income if they are accused of FFP violations by the Premier League.

Under former manager Thomas Tuchel, the German defender played a significant role.

Despite his advancing years, Chelsea was keen to lock him into a long-term contract.

Rudiger ultimately made the decision to join Real Madrid, the European and Spanish champions, and left Stamford Bridge on a free transfer.

Rudiger was worth £35 million at the time of his departure, according to Transfermarkt.

However, Chelsea was unable to demand a transfer fee for him because of his contract's expiration.

If Rudiger's departure were to be brought up, the Premier League might demand proof that Chelsea had any chance of successfully extending the German's contract.

This summer, players like Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso left on their own dime.

However, they left after June 30, which was the end of the accounting period for 2021–2022.