Czech Republic U21 international TomA?A? Kalas – who will spend the coming season on loan at Championship side Middlesbrough – has signed a new three-year contract with Chelsea FC, whilst Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah inches closer to a move to AS Roma
22-year-old defender TomA?A? Kalas – who impressed on his full Premier League d but in a 2-0 Chelsea FC win against Liverpool at Anfield in April 2014 – has committed his future to the club after signing a contract extension that will see him stay on the Blues’ books till 2018.
One youngster who will not be a Chelsea FC player for much longer, however, is Mohamed Salah – the 23-year-old is close to finalising a move to AS Roma, with Chelsea FC and the Italian Serie A side reportedly close to agreeing terms for the player’s transfer.
Kalas signs a new three-year deal with Chelsea FC
Although Blues’ manager Jos Mourinho does not have the Czech youngster in his plans for the coming season, it appears he does think there is a possibility that the 22-year-old can contribute a season or two down the line.
On Thursday, Chelsea FC announced – via their official website – that Kalas had signed a three-year contract that is expected to keep him at the club till 2018. The Czech U21 international had previous signed a five-year deal in 2012, and will now have additional time to prove that he has a role to play with the Premier League champions.
We are pleased to announce Tomas Kalas has signed a new three-year contract… http://t.co/gfZWAxByUF
a Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) . July 23, 2015
With Mourinho reportedly chasing Everton youngster John Stones, and with Frenchman Kurt Zouma already on the Blues’ books, Kalas’ long-term future with Chelsea FC is unlikely to be at centre-back. The former Vitesse loanee, however, can be an effective right-back; in fact, the Czech defender was employed in that role with the Dutch feeder club, and has also played in that position for current loan club Middlesbrough.
Serbian Branislav Ivanovi will be 32 before the end of the season, whilst Spaniard C sar Azpilicueta’s long-term future appears to be in the left-back position. The Blues have no other right-back options bar academy youngster Ola Aina, who could be loaned out in the coming year or two. As such, Kalas could well have a role to play in the Blues’ squad in the near future.
Salah saga finally approaches end
The Mohamed Salah soap opera is seemingly close to reaching its finale and reports have emerged that an agreement between Chelsea FC and AS Roma is not too far away – a one-year loan with an obligation to buy reportedly being agreed upon.
According to Sky Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, negotiation between the clubs is in the final stages, with Roma agreeing to pay Chelsea FC a 2 million as the loan fee with a forced but-out clause set at a 20 million at the end of the year-long loan.
The report claims that the Serie A side will pay Salah around a 3.5 million a year, and that the clubs have started putting together the documents for the Egyptian’s transfer.
England’s Main Online are in agreement with the Sky Italia report, claiming that an agreement between the two clubs is close with a loan fee of A?1.4 million (a 2 M) set to be agreed, as well as a buy-out clause that could be as high as A?16 million (a 23 M).
Mourinho has already confirmed that Salah does not have a Chelsea FC future, and the Egyptian has seemingly been replaced by Burkina Faso youngster Bertrand Traor who will stay at Stamford Bridge in the coming season following a successful season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem.