Chelsea are looking to extend the contracts of Reece James and Marc Cucurella, according to reports.
However, TEAMtalk claim that despite both players closing in on the final two years of their contracts at Stamford Bridge, James is seen as the “priority”.
As the club captain, that isn’t surprising, but James’ past injury record has raised questions over whether a new long-term deal would be on the cards.
The England international went through several seasons without playing a lot of football, after sustaining one setback after another.
Things have, though, changed markedly this season, with James having racked up 33 appearances in all competitions, including 25 starts. As a result, both parties are said to be very keen on renewing his contract beyond 2028.
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What is the situation with Cucurella?
Like James, the Spanish international’s current deal is set to expire in 2028, and TEAMtalk claim Chelsea do fully intend to hold “discussions” with the defender and his agent.
It does, however, appear that Cucurella will have to wait in line for negotiations to begin, as the Blues seek to tie down James for the long term first.
The left-back is a key member of the squad, having started 30 games this campaign, five more than James.
Chelsea have other contract situations to resolve
Despite Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez having deals that expire in 2031 and 2032, respectively, they are reportedly keen on negotiating new contracts with substantial pay rises.
Caicedo is believed to be earning around £150,000 a week, while Fernandez is taking home approximately £180,000 a week, on the agreements they signed when they moved to the London club in 2023.
You would hope that James and Cucurella are ahead of them in the queue for talks, especially as they have considerably less time remaining on their current deals.
Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here