'Rudiger is Chelsea's best defender' - Keown urges Blues to keep German

Antonio Rudiger is the best player in a Chelsea defense that is ‘a joke and a disgrace’, says Martin Keown, amid reports of an exit.

Rudiger has slipped down the Chelsea pecking order following the summer arrivals of Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr, having failed to feature in any of the club’s three games this season so far.

Frank Lampard was keen to strengthen the defense this summer after the club conceded 54 goals in the previous Premier League campaign. It was the ninth-worst record overall.

The Blues boss has already gone on record to state he doesn’t anything to happen before the transfer window shuts on October 5 regarding Rudiger’s future, amid reported interest from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

But Keown believes the German, who made 28 appearances in all competitions last season, is Lampard’s best bet to fix his ‘joke and a disgrace’ of a defense.

The former Arsenal center-back told talkSPORT: “The goals they concede, they don’t seem to know how to mark properly from crosses,” said the former Arsenal and England centre-back.

“We’re asked to analyze now in this job, to look at the detail; have a look at Chelsea’s line.

“I’ve spent hours watching, their defense is a joke, it’s a disgrace!

“Silva’s come in, maybe he’ll resolve that, but I think Rudiger is actually their best defender.

“He’ll perform better with somebody alongside him telling him the craft of how to mark from crosses – which is where they conceded a lot of goals last season.

“Defending has gone out the window in the Premier League at the moment, by the way, but there are elements of Chelsea’s team at the back that are not quite right.

“They’re not in position early enough and that’s because they go to sleep.”

Quizzed on who should be Lampard’s first-choice pairing in central defense, Keown replied: “I would go Thiago Silva alongside Rudiger.

“I know Rudiger has a problem from set pieces, but they all do. Kurt Zouma is maybe a better header of the ball, but he’s also prone to mistakes.

“I think Rudger is their best defender, and that is the long-time partnership. But, it looks like Rudiger is going out the door!”