Chelsea 'Stunned' By Star Player's Last-Minute Contract Demands After Thinking They Had Agreed A Deal

Chelsea have been left 'stunned' after thinking they had agreed a new deal with one of their soon-to-be out-of-contract stars, only for the player to demand a last-minute change to the terms.

The Blues are looking to tie some of their key players down to new contracts.

Antonio Rudiger's current contract expires at the end of the season, with the club hoping to extend his deal amid intense transfer speculation.

Andreas Christensen is another player whose contract is up next summer, with Chelsea wanting to prolong his spell at Stamford Bridge.

Image: PA

They thought they had a breakthrough in talks over a new contract until the Danish defender proposed last-minute contract demands, according to The Telegraph.

The 25-year-old was in line to receive a bumper pay raise and pen a five-year contract, with everything agreed.

But the 'goalposts' changed at the last minute, preventing a new contract from being signed.

Image: PA

It's thought that his agent wanted the contract reduced from five years to three years which 'stunned' Chelsea's hierarchy.

The length of the contract is now the major issue in discussions, with the club unwilling to back down from their original proposal.

If they fail to reach an agreement, then Christensen appears set to leave London on a free transfer next summer.

Speaking last month, Thomas Tuchel revealed his admiration for Christensen.

"I think it is important we accept the personality of every player," said the German boss. "Some are more loud, some aggressive, some more calm.

"He's a calm guy, very intelligent player, and sometimes you can get maybe a bit misled by judging him from his personality, because he is a hard defender and he is a guy who is not shy to have hard tackles and win challenges and step up in games. He found his place.

"He is very strong, very reliable and he has not reached his limits because in his age there is still room to improve. He can be a top defender for us in the next years and hopefully he will be because he comes from the academy.

"He knows what it takes and he has improved massively so far but it is not done yet - you have to show it over and over. There are big examples in this club of what it takes to be a legend in defence and there is still a way to go but we are very happy so far."

Topics: Andreas Christensen, Chelsea, Football

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Darren Till. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

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