Chelsea planning to tie Salomon Kalou to new deal

Simon Johnson
26 Aug 2009

Chelsea are confident Salomon Kalou will sign a new contract.

Kalou's deal runs out at the end of the season and his agent Jan de Visser admitted the Ivory Coast international may leave on a free transfer next year if he doesn't get enough first team football this term.

Yet Kalou has been reassured he is a part of new manager Carlo Ancelotti's long-term plans and will get plenty of opportunities to impress.

The 24-year-old is regarded as third choice striker behind Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka but has already started ahead of the latter in the win against Sunderland last week.

Kalou, who has scored 30 goals since joining from Feyenoord for £3.5m in 2006, is understood to be enjoying playing under Ancelotti and is keen to commit his future to Chelsea. Meanwhile, the Blues are concerned over Alex's hernia injury and the defender has had the problem looked at again by the club's medical team.

Alex had an operation after playing in the FA Cup Final in May, but has been troubled again by the injury.

He played a full part in pre-season but has missed the first three League games of the campaign because he is still feeling some discomfort. Keeper Ross Turnbull has lost ground in his battle with Hilario to be second choice behind Petr Cech after he made three blunders in the reserves 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa last night.

Ancelotti was watching from the stands at Griffin Park and saw Turnbull's errors cost the second string dearly.

The Italian has so far taken it in turns to put Turnbull and Hilario on the bench, but may now prefer the experience of the Portuguese keeper when the Champions League starts next month.