Thiago Silva is keen to extend his stay at Chelsea for at least another season, but is increasingly unlikely to be joined by David Alaba, whose current wage demands are far too steep for the Blues.
Silva has been a revelation since signing on a free transfer in the summer, and his importance is only expected to grow under new manager Thomas Tuchel, who he previously worked with at PSG.
The 36-year-old has seen his game-time limited by a couple of niggling injury issues, but his experience has been vital at the heart of a youthful Chelsea team, and he is understood to be enjoying his time in the Premier League.
There are not expected to be too many roadblocks in the way of him extending his spell in London. He is out of contract at the end of the season as things stand, but the Telegraph report that he is keen to sign on for at least 2021/22, and his performances throughout his 21 appearances certainly suggest he has another season in the tank.
The Stamford Bridge hierarchy have not addressed the situation yet, but they aren't expecting a queue around the block for the services of a high-earning centre-back in his late 30s.
Fabrizio Romano claims neither party is 'in a rush' to resolve the issue, with talks to commence this week that are expected to be straightforward.
Interestingly, the Telegraph's report goes into some detail over the Blues' interest in David Alaba. But there is less good news on that front from a Chelsea standpoint, as they are said to be the latest club to have scoffed at his wage demands.
The outgoing Bayern defender is believed to be asking for as much as £400,000 per week, which would explain why widespread reports already have Liverpool and Manchester United abandoning potential deals.
£400,000, or £20m per year, would make him the highest earner at any of those clubs. As things stand, it is only thought to be Real Madrid, who had 'agreed a deal' with the out-of-contract Austrian last month, who see that as a worthwhile investment.
There were claims in the UK that Chelsea were about to 'hijack' the deal, but this report contradicts that, saying they are only interested if he lowers his wage demands - something that would only happen if his move to La Liga collapsed.
Reports on that situation have died away over the past few weeks, and there has been no update since Marca's claims that he had agreed to sign a pre-contract deal at the Bernabeu.
Source : 90min