Romano reveals EXILED Chelsea star has signed a new contract

Tom Weber

Updated: 5 Sept 2024 15:53 BST
3 min read

Chelsea handed Djordje Petrovic a new contract before he joined Strasbourg on loan, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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Last season's No.1 has been shipped out on loan to BlueCo affiliate Strasbourg in Ligue 1 after essentially being kicked out of Enzo Maresca's squad. The Italian did not think that Petrovic was capable enough in possession to work in his system and made him one of the many Chelsea stars to get pushed out of the side.

The Serb was replaced with Villarreal shot-stopper Filip Jorgensen, while Robert Sanchez was reinstated as the club's first-choice option, having initially lost his place under Mauricio Pochettino last season due to injury and the performances of Petrovic.

After just a year at Stamford Bridge, Petrovic will suit up in France this season, but Fabrizio Romano has now revealed an interesting detail about his loan.

Petrovic's 'improved terms'

The Italian transfer expert took to X to report that Petrovic agreed to 'improved terms' ahead of his temporary move to Strasbourg. He didn't specify exactly what this means but it is fair to assume that the Serb signed a new contract, which seems very odd indeed.

There have been several extensions at Chelsea in recent times, with Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson rewarded with bumper new deals for their performances, while Kepa extended his stay by a year before joining Bournemouth on loan so as to protect the Blues from losing him for free next summer.

However, unlike Kepa, Petrovic was already tied down until 2030 with the option for a further year and he is clearly not a crucial part of Chelsea's plans like Palmer or Jackson.

Romano states that Petrovic's future will be 'assessed' again when he returns to the club in 2025, but handing him 'improved terms' - whether that is a completely new deal or just a pay rise for last season's form - after essentially kicking him out appears to be a completely unnecessary and nonsensical decision.