Will Chelsea trio follow Pedro out of the Bridge?
Chelsea star Pedro has revealed he will not be signing a new deal, but the futures of the other soon-to-be-out-of-contract stars are less clear.
The future of Pedro has been in doubt for some time considering his contract is up in the summer and although his departure from Chelsea is not really a surprise, the timing of the announcement is.
The former Barcelona star broke the news to a Spanish radio station, confirming he will not be signing a new deal and will at some point get himself fixed up with a new club.
A number of other Chelsea stars are due to fall out of contract and the whole situation has of course been complicated by the coronavirus as the season could still be going on, while players are out of contract.
There is the option to sign something short-term while the season concludes, but it remains to be seen if anything more long-term will be agreed.
Chelsea are said to have put all contract talks on hold for now so the speculation is set to rumble on for a good while yet. Here are three other Chelsea players whose futures remain up in the air as their contracts tick down.
Chelsea delay talks with almost out-of-contract Willian and Giroud https://t.co/6KNpsaIvOE @Matt_Law_DT with a new twist on contract sagas
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) March 25, 2020
Willian
The Brazilian is a player that Frank Lampard clearly wants to keep. Whether that happens is another matter Willian remains at the top of his game and will be one of the most in-demand free agents in world football if he does not sign.
In fairness to Willian he remains fully committed to the Chelsea cause and has said he will see the season out, no matter how long that takes, before a decision is made on his future.
Some of Europe’s top clubs are said to be ready with offers. It would be a huge surprise if they have not already been in touch. But there is still the chance he could commit to a new deal at Stamford Bridge. Whether he stays or goes is a tough one to call.
Olivier Giroud
Giroud is another player who will not be short of offers, but there is a huge question mark over whether he will get one at Chelsea.
There is a feeling he is not in the plans of Lampard going forward and it would come as a surprise if he ended up staying at Chelsea beyond the end of the season. It was a surprise he did not leave in January.
Clubs in France and Italy are ready to pounce and there is the chance another Premier League club could come in for him. Without doubt the 33-year-old is a proven goalscorer, he still does it for France on the international stage, but for one reason or another, Lampard is not massively keen.
Willy Caballero
The 38-year-old goalkeeper has ended up wearing the number one jersey at times this season due to the indifferent form of Kepa Arrizabalaga and whether he gets a deal could hinge on the latter’s future.
Lampard wants a new keeper and it could certainly be worth keeping Caballero on board to be a more than capable number two. A one-year deal would be a good option for all concerned.
