Andreas Christensen wants bigger salary, four-year contract — report

Thomas Tuchel publicly addressed the future of Andreas Christensen with the club, and rightly or wrongly, the German manager let his frustrations about the situation and ongoing negotiations be known.

The Athletic sheds more light on these negotiations, with their report claiming that while a contract extension was close to being finalized previously, the deal wasn’t done by any means. Christensen has continued to convey that he wants to continue at Chelsea despite the interest of other clubs like Barcelona, but the 25-year-old was still unhappy with the £140,000 per week salary on offer, which is much less than what the club’s attackers are earning.

Obviously, attackers generally earn more than defenders in the world of football, but the size of the disparity doesn’t seem particularly fair at Chelsea when you consider how much Tuchel’s success has been built on the club’s defensive record.

Christensen was also wary that if he signed a 5-year deal, he would have less leverage in future contract negotiations once he turns 30, because his career will be seen as being in its latter stages. Therefore, Christensen initially insinuated that he would be open to signing a new 3-year contract. However, the financial side of things still continues to be a stumbling block, and in the meantime, after some contemplation, Christensen is now open to signing a longer deal.

There are now negotiations over a new 4-year deal and that leads to hope that a resolution can still be found with some compromise from both sides. However, there is also a feeling that Tuchel’s admonishing ultimatum may have left a sour taste in the discussions, so that could prove to be a factor in how this saga eventually pans out.