MANCHESTER UNITED are surprise entrants in the race to sign Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea.

That’s if reports in Germany are to be believed.

The Blues defender is out of contract next summer and currently stalling on signing a new deal.

Reports suggest the 28-year-old is leaning towards Real Madrid after holding ‘positive talks’ with the LaLiga giants.

But Germany broadcaster Sky Sport reports Man United are set to swoop for the Champions League-winner.

Chelsea are understood to have tabled a new deal worth around £140k a week to keep Rudiger at Stamford Bridge.

That appears to have fallen on deaf ears in the player’s camp, with Real confident of landing their man.

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also thought to be in the mix but the Germany international reckons Spain will be his next destination.

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There is one intriguing angle to the proposed Red Devils tie-in.

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick has previously been in charge at Stuttgart, the German side where Rudiger made his name before moving to Roma in 2015.

Rangnick was at the helm at Mercedes-Benz Arena from 1999 to 2001.

That was long before Rudiger joined the club as a youth player, but there is a degree of shared history between the men.

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