Report: Rudiger agrees to join Real Madrid on free transfer

Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger is in the process of sealing a move to Spain.

The German defender and Real Madrid have reached a preliminary agreement that will allow him to move to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer on a free transfer, ESPN's Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez report.

Rudiger, whose contract at Chelsea will expire in June, will reportedly join Los Blancos on a four-year contract.

Real Madrid stepped up their pursuit of the 29-year-old following their second-leg encounter with Chelsea in the Champions League quarterfinals, and sources told ESPN that Rudiger's transfer to the Spanish capital could be finalized "in record time."

News of the agreement comes after Chelsea failed to persuade Rudiger to sign a contract extension. On Sunday, manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed Rudiger will leave the Blues at the end of the season.

"The situation is that he wants to leave the club. He informed me of this is in a private talk," Tuchel said following Chelsea's win over West Ham United.

Rudiger, who arrived at Stamford Bridge from Roma in 2017, established himself as the centerpiece of Chelsea's defense this season, with Tuchel adding that the Blues will "miss him a lot."