Antonio Rudiger, a Chelsea defender, has been named the Premier League’s fastest player this season.
Rudiger had the fastest pace among any player in the top tier of English football in a match against Brighton earlier this season, according to stats service Opta.
Rudiger’s best speed in the Premier League was 36.7 kmph (22.8 mph), slightly ahead of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and former Wolves winger Adama Traore.
Salah and Traore are tied for second place on the list with a season-best speed of 36.6 kmph (22.7 mph). Ibrahima Konate, another Liverpool player, is fourth on the list with a speed of 36.2 kmph (22.5 mph).
Meanwhile, with 36.1 km/h, Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins and Leicester forward Patson Daka are tied for fifth place (22.4 mph).
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Rudiger’s contract with Chelsea ends at the end of the season, and he will be unable to extend his stay due to the ongoing sanctions against club owner Roman Abramovich.
The 29-year-old defender has held pre-contract talks with a number of Europe’s top clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich.
Despite the uncertainties surrounding his long-term future, Rudiger believes he is entirely focused on Chelsea.
Speaking to TuttoMercatoWeb, via Sport Witness, Rudiger said: “Future? At the moment I am here, I have always said that I am happy here and we will see what to do in the future.”
Under Thomas Tuchel, Rudiger has won both the Champions League and the Club World Cup in the last year, and the Germany international is happy of the club’s achievements.
36.7 – Antonio Rüdiger has the highest recorded top speed in the Premier League this season, with 36.7 km/h against Brighton:
36.7 – Antonio Rüdiger
36.6 – Mohamed Salah
36.6 – Adama Traoré
36.2 – Ibrahima Konaté
36.1 – Ollie Watkins
36.1 – Patson DakaLightning. #AskOptaJoe https://t.co/sEvZoVdlj8
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 22, 2022
