Chelsea 'stunned' by contract rebel's last-minute demand to change terms of deal

Chelsea were convinced they had finally agreed a new five-year contract with Andreas Christensen only for the defender to demand a last-minute change to the terms, according to reports.

The 25-year-old has been a mainstay of the Champions League holders’ defence under Thomas Tuchel but there are fears he could leave Stamford Bridge with his contract set to expire next summer.

Chelsea have been locked in talks over an extension and are running out of time to secure his long-term future, with Christensen free to speak with foreign clubs from January onwards.

According to The Telegraph, Chelsea’s hierarchy thought they had at last made a breakthrough in negotiations and were on the verge of getting the defender to commit to a new deal.

Christensen was set to land a bumper pay rise and put pen to paper on a five-year contract, with everything agreed, only for the ‘goalposts to be changed’ at the last minute.

The Denmark international’s agent initially made a series of eleventh-hour adjustments, most of which were minor, before demanding that the contract be reduced from five years down to just three.

That proposal ‘stunned’ Chelsea, who were absolutely unwilling to agree to a relatively short deal for a player entering his prime years, while they would practically need to begin negotiating fresh terms again almost immediately.

The length of the deal is now the major stumbling block in talks, with Chelsea unwilling to back down from their original five-year proposal, and if they cannot find a compromise then Christensen will almost certainly leave the club on a free transfer.

Chelsea are already resigned to losing fellow contract rebel Antonio Rudiger but were more confident about keeping the younger Dane – though there is still lingering hope that he can be convinced to stay at the club.

Christensen was asked about his future this week, saying: ‘I feel valued, I’m happy but I do not get into the contract situation. I do not know why everyone thinks it is a bad situation. Because I’m still happy and I enjoy playing football.’

He added: ‘I’m a player who right now enjoys playing football [at Chelsea] and the coach shows confidence in me. There is no bad relationship, there is nothing.’

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