David Ornstein makes Roman Abramovich claim when discussing Cole Palmer and Chelsea’s wages
Cole Palmer is the latest on a long list of Chelsea players to sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge in the last few months, and David Ornstein has explained the impact on the wage structure.
A few hours before Chelsea brushed Bournemouth aside on Saturday afternoon with a 5-1 win, Chelsea announced a new contract for Palmer. It is only a 12-month extension, but his wages have increased.
It is a signal of intent from Behdad Eghbali and Clearlake to continue rewarding Chelsea’s best players and those in good form. Chelsea’s wage structure is renowned for being tight and closely monitored.
David Ornstein says Chelsea’s wage structure remains unaffected
Palmer’s new deal follows contract extensions for the likes of Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto, Reece James and Moises Caicedo, with Caicedo and James’ new deals coming while Liam Rosenior remained in charge.
While the figures on show are astronomical, in context, Chelsea’s wages are small given the calibre of the players in the squad. According to Salary Sport, Palmer earned £130,000 a week before his new deal.
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On The Athletic’s podcast, David Ornstein said Eghbali is still keeping a tight hold on the wage structure. The Chelsea chairman wants to keep the club financially healthy after the Roman Abramovich years.
“It would also appear from what we’re hearing out of Stamford Bridge that they are maintaining their wage structure. That they’re not breaking it. James, Caicedo, Pedro, Pedro Neto and Palmer fit within it.
“It is part of a big effort that Chelsea are embarking upon to be in better financial health than they have been previously. It’s been tricky post-Abramovich and into the Boehly/Clearlake era,” Ornstein said.
Who is next in line for a Chelsea contract after Palmer?
Aside from new signings and the quintet of players that have put pen to paper, there are still a handful of Chelsea stars that could well be next as Eghbali looks to control the future of his most-prized assets.
As things stand, Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck, Gaga Slonina, Teddy Sharman-Lowe and Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli have the shortest time remaining on their Chelsea deals. All five see their spells end in 2028.
Levi Colwill has long been linked with a new contract, while the desire to keep Nicoll-Jazuli will be great after the Sydney-born talent made his senior debut at Brentford. But reports mention another Blues ace.
Indeed, reports say Josh Acheampong could be the next player to sign a new Chelsea contract. The young defender is getting more game time under Xabi Alonso, even starting over Wesley Fofana on Saturday.
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