Which Chelsea players will be offered new contracts?
James Shearman
- Updated: 2 Sept 2022 23:13 BST
- 4 min read
Chelsea are looking to reward star players Reece James and Mason Mount with new long-term contracts, according to reports.
The pair of academy graduates are thought to be among the lowest earners in the first-team squad, which does not match their importance to the team.
Mount's current contract expires at the end of the 2023-24 season, while James has an extra year on his deal.
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But the Englishmen will be handed new contracts, according to 90min, which will likely take them to 2026 at the earliest.
The plan is to have the papers signed before the World Cup in November, though there is no need to rush for the time being.
Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is also set to be offered an extension, though his poor form could have lessened the west London club's desire to do so.
Chelsea’s transfer window
Chelsea spent a record £272 million during the 2022 summer transfer window, making it the biggest single market from an individual team in the history of the game.
It came amid a watershed period in the club's history, with Todd Boehly taking the reins of the side after Roman Abramovich was effectively ousted for political reasons.
The American billionaire appointed himself as the West London club’s interim sporting director following Marina Granovskaia’s departure.
As a result, Boehly has flown around the world meeting with agents and clubs to discuss transfer targets, taking the old-fashioned route of in-person meetings.
That approach has rewarded Chelsea with an impressive array of additions, including Wesley Fofana, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Denis Zakaria, all of whom joined in the closing stages of the transfer window.
Raheem Sterling was first through the door from title rivals Manchester City for £47.5m (€56m) after being deemed surplus to requirements with just one year left on his contract at the Etihad Stadium.
The England attacker scored 131 goals in 339 appearances for City, and won 11 major honours during his time at the club.
A star in LA! 🇺🇸#SterlingIsChelsea pic.twitter.com/kgTYEI3ybn
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 13, 2022
Furthermore, during the six years Sterling worked with Pep Guardiola, no player was used more often by the Spaniard, with the forward playing 292 times under the former Barcelona head coach.
Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly followed shortly after, penning a four-year deal in a previously unprecedented move of Chelsea handing a long-term contract to a player in his 30's.
Koulibaly had been a long-term target for Chelsea over the years and the club finally struck a deal worth £34m for the Senegalese international in the first of many defensive reinforcements.
Marc Cucurella arrived from Brighton to further strengthen the defence, providing competition to Ben Chilwell in the left-back position.
Chelsea have also made deals with an eye to the future: USMNT goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina and Carney Chukwuemeka, both still just 18 years old.
Perhaps the most exciting addition landed in the last week of the window, with Wesley Fofana arriving from Leicester for £72m.
He joined shortly before the attack was boosted by the arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Deadline Day, while Denis Zakaria's loan was the last deal announced.
