The latest on Tammy Abraham's contract talks with Chelsea
By Ross Jackson
Chelsea have put contract talks with Tammy Abraham on the back-burner until the end of the season with the club seemingly in no rush to extend his current deal.
The young forward had been expected to pen fresh terms at Stamford Bridge last season. However, with wage demands proving to be a sticking point, the Blues opted to review the situation at a later date.
Abraham triggered an automatic one-year extension to his current deal last July meaning he's tied down to the club until 2023.
With little over two years remaining on his contract, Chelsea had hoped new terms could be agreed, but ESPN report that talks over a new deal have now been put on hold until the end of the campaign, with his six-figure wage demands cited as the main issue between the two parties.
Chelsea youngsters Reece James, Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi have all recently committed their futures to the Blues, though it seems Abraham is some way off following suit.
The England international was a key component of Frank Lampard's Chelsea team last season, starting 25 Premier League games and scoring 15 goals.
However, he's struggled to cement his place in the starting XI this season following Chelsea's transfer splurge which saw the arrival of a number of big-money frontline reinforcements.
Competition for places from the likes of Timo Werner has seen his league starts limited to just 12 this campaign, and Thomas Tuchel's arrival certainly hasn't helped his cause either, with the German tactician affording Abraham just 123 minutes of league football since taking the reins at Stamford Bridge.
It remains to be seen whether Tuchel's arrival is having anything to do with the continued struggle to come to a compromise over a new deal, while their mooted pursuits of both Erling Haaland and Sergio Aguero could also be hampering discussions.