Cesc Fabregas must take a huge pay cut to stay at Chelsea

Cesc Fabregas’s future at Chelsea remains unclear despite the midfielder insisting he would like to extend his deal at the club.

Fabregas, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign, first told Standard Sport a year ago that he wanted to earn a new deal and has not changed his mind since.

But it is believed talks with the club have yet to take place and he is not set to make any progress on the issue until the new year.

Fabregas is one of Chelsea’s highest-paid players on around £160,000 a week and will almost certainly have to accept a significant pay cut.

The 31-year-old has not started a Premier League match under Maurizio Sarri this term and has been linked with a number of clubs across Europe.

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He said: “I still believe in myself a lot and think I can add so much to this team.

“Let’s see what happens but I am happy here.

“In life, not just football, timing is the most important thing. You don’t have to rush decisions, you don’t have to talk before things happen. At the moment I am playing once a week.

“But we will see when the time comes that the Europa League ends for two months and there is a break in the EFL Cup [before the semi-finals should Chelsea get there]. Then there will only be games in the Premier League [for a few weeks].”

Chelsea will now face Bournemouth at home in the EFL Cup quarter-finals after last night’s win over Derby, just as they did in the competition last year. Eddie Howe’s side are sixth in the League and made Chelsea work hard for a 2-0 victory over them in September.

Willian added: “It will be a difficult game against them as well. They are a very good team, so let’s do it.”

Meanwhile, Derby manager Frank Lampard had plenty of praise for the Chelsea supporters on an emotional return to Stamford Bridge.

Lampard, the Blues’ record scorer with 211 goals, said: “I’m so thankful to the Chelsea fans. I left through the back door and it upset me at the time but I have nothing but great memories of this place and they thank me like that. I’m a lucky man to have a night like that and I feel it.”