Chelsea to offer Drogba contract extension

Chelsea are set to offer striker Didier Drogba a contract extension to ward off any interest from the player’s former club, Marseille. Marseille are eager to bring back Drogba, with the French club’s president, Vincent Labrune, admitting the interest. He said,

“The question would be whether in terms of salary – not a transfer fee – Marseille have the means to pay Didier Drogba for four years and the answer is ‘yes’.”

Drogba was initially linked with a return to the Stade Velodrome this season after the Ivorian was dropped to the bench to accommodate the January signing of Fernando Torres. After a few failed attempts to play both forwards together, Drogba dropped to the bench despite the Spaniard’s woeful form. Towards the end of the season, Drogba recovered his strength and put in a string of impressive, powerful performances. However, the forward is now 32-years old, and with competition from Torres, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou, coupled with the return of loanee Daniel Strurridge after an impressive spell at Bolton Wanderers, where he plundered 8 goals from 12 appearances, it looked like the Ivorian was set for pastures new.

Drogba and Torres: Set for another season at Stamford Brodge

The confirmation of Andre Villas Boas as Chelsea manager this week brought with it speculation that the Portugese manager would bring Porto’s star striker Radamel Falcao along with him, further harming Drogba’s chances of an extended stay at Stamford Bridge. Villas-boas quashed the rumours tough, saying:

“I’m more than happy with the actual squad. It’s nothing new that, when a manager comes, radical changes are expected.We have plenty of time to judge the market. There’s no fuss in the changes we might need to do or not. They’re top quality players, and I want to see them back so I can start taking decisions.”

Wholesale changes are now unlikely, and a contract extension is on the cards, or he would have to be depart at a cut-price rate this year, or as a free agent the following year, neither of which would please the Chelsea hierarchy. Drogba’s current contract expires at the end of the 2012 season.