Chelsea are starting to make decisions on the nine first-team stars out of contract this summer, with Millie Bright in 'discussions' over a new deal.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Nine Chelsea stars out-of-contract this summer Club captain Bright in talks over renewalBlues highlight two more they want to stayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Bright is one of nine players to have just entered the final six months of her current Chelsea deal, along with goalkeeper Zecira Musovic, full-back Eve Perisset, midfielder Erin Cuthbert and the injured trio of Sophie Ingle, Kadeisha Buchanan and Aniek Nouwen. Wingers Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Guro Reiten are also out-of-contract this summer, though their deals do include one-year options.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Unsurprisingly, club captain Bright appears to be one of the priorities for Chelsea on this list of names, with reporting that the defender 'has been in discussions' over a new contract at the club she joined way back in 2014. The 31-year-old remains one of the Blues' most important players after reaching a decade in London, playing every single minute for them in the Women's Super League this season.
DID YOU KNOW?
The report also names Cuthbert and Buchanan as players that Chelsea 'want' to get new deals sorted for. Cuthbert's importance to Sonia Bompastor's team is underlined by the fact that she often wears the armband whenever Bright isn't on the pitch. Buchanan, meanwhile, suffered a devastating ACL injury in November which likely spells the end of her season, but had been growing in stature in this squad before that. She has also worked with head coach Bompastor before, at Lyon.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
It's unclear at this moment if Chelsea are keen to renew the contracts of any of the other players set to become free agents in the summer, but the picture should become clearer over the coming weeks and months, especially after the January transfer window opened on Wednesday.