Chelsea U-turn sees Thomas Tuchel favourite on brink of new deal and bumper pay rise
Centre-back Andreas Christensen is reportedly close to committing his future to Chelsea by signing a new deal worth £120,000 per week.
The 25-year-old has become a first-team regular under Thomas Tuchel, playing the 90 minutes in four of the club’s five top-flight matches this season as they have stormed to the top of the Premier League table. He also featured heavily in their run to Champions League glory last term.
The Denmark international confirmed earlier this month that the Blues had begun discussions over a new deal, with less than 12 months remaining on his current contract.
However, The Sun now states that the final details of Christensen’s new contract are being finalised before an official announcement is made.
Initial reports suggested that Chelsea wanted to keep the player as a rotation piece and were looking to offer him less than his current £78,000 per week salary.
But Christensen, who has been part of a defence that has kept 38 clean sheets in 46 games, has now forced his way into Tuchel’s first team. His impact also saw the club part with Kurt Zouma, who joined West Ham for £30million.
The Dane received more praise from Tuchel after the Blues went top of the table courtesy of a commanding 3-0 win at Tottenham on Sunday.
Asked how important Christensen is to his side, Tuchel said after the London derby victory: “Andreas has been very strong since day, can play in all three positions in the defence and he plays with a lot of confidence.
“In the beginning, I had the feeling it was a bit of push to believe in himself and impose himself and trust in his quality because he has everything that we need in these positions.
“Again a very strong performance. You can see it in the minutes.
“We rely fully on him and he’s doing very very good so far and it is everybody’s target that he continues like this.”
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Christensen has Tuchel backing
Acknowledging the role Chelsea’s boss has played in his resurgence, Christensen added: “I know Thomas Tuchel believes in me. I have also played a big role since he came.
“I had a very difficult period under [Frank] Lampard, shortly before he was fired. Now luckily it’s going the right way for me.
“Things can go fast in this world. The most important thing is just that I have never given up.
“It is super cool to play a major part, and be in the thick of things. But, as I have experienced, things can change quickly.
“Suddenly some other players can perform well or be given a chance, and then I can end up in the cold again.”
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