Chelsea are looking to reward Cole Palmer with a salary increase as part of a plan to keep the England international at Stamford Bridge for the next decade, a report has revealed.
The Blues took a risk when they struck a £40m deal to sign Palmer from Manchester City last summer, but they received an immediate return on their investment as the 22-year-old finished second in the Premier League Golden Boot race and went on to score for England in the final of Euro 2024.
As noted by theTelegraph, Palmer is actually one of the lowest earners in the Chelsea squad at £80,000 per week - Raheem Sterling sits atop the wage charts with weekly earnings of £325,000 - and Blues officials are aware that needs to change.
To reward Palmer for his fantastic form, Chelsea are looking to hand Palmer a series of wage rises based on his performance to better reflect his importance to the team.
It is expected that Chelsea will not tie Palmer down to a new contract, which still has six years left to run on top of 12-month extension clause, but rather renegotiate the terms of his existing agreement and keep everything as private as possible.
Chelsea are said to be looking to keep Palmer at the club for the next ten years and recognise the need to ensure he is compensated fairly for his contribution.
Key to Chelsea's transfer negotiations has been encouraging players to agree to lower base salaries with significant bonuses on offer, including a raise for reaching the Champions League, and Chelsea want to give Palmer a fair chance to earn more money.
Wages have been a sticking point in a number of deals already this summer. Napoli striker Victor Osimhen would require the sort of salary that would exceed the club's wage structure, while a move for Athletic Club's Nico Williams is also on hold due to the Spain winger's demands.
Chelsea want to ensure the players who have agreed to comparatively lower salaries, such as Palmer, do not grow frustrated by big-money signings and plan to give the squad the opportunity to raise their earnings with their on-field performances.
The Blues will look to trim the wage budget this summer through the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Kepa Arrizabalaga, while the future of another high-earner, left-back Ben Chilwell, has been thrown into doubt.