Chelsea hoping for boost in contract talks for 18-year-old starlet after Malmo involvement

Chelsea hope Malmo involvement will ensure Harvey Vale pens new contract

According to The Athletic (Subscription Required), Chelsea have already started talks over a contract extension of a highly-rated youngster Harvey Vale, with talks headed in a positive direction.

Vale was once again named in the Chelsea squad for the Champions League encounter against Malmo on Tuesday, and The Blues are hoping that it will ensure him and other young prodigies that the club rates them highly despite their star-studded squad.

Chelsea U19 were also in action against Malmo in the UEFA Youth League on Tuesday afternoon but despite that Thomas Tuchel named Harvey Vale on the substitute bench during their 1-0 win against Malmo.

He still has one and a half years left on his deal but The Athletic believe that the Blues have already started talking about an extension with the player as a number of clubs are understandably keen on following the contract negotiations surrounding the Chelsea academy product.

Young players like Valentino Livramento, who now plays for Southampton, and Leeds United’s Lewis Bate already decided to swap clubs in the summer after rejecting contract offers from the club, perhaps due to a lack of playing opportunities.

However, 18-year-old Vale is not looking to move away from Stamford Bridge and both club and player think that the contract talks are heading in the right direction and the conclusion will reach soon, with the involvement against Malmo possibly giving the Blues in contract talks.

Vale, who turned 19 just last week — was also on the first-team bench for the first time ever, in Chelsea’s League Cup match against Southampton in October.

He made his Chelsea debut at the tender age of 16, when he was given a chance to impress during a pre-season friendly against Brighton last summer after impressing former Blues’ coach Frank Lampard during a training session with the senior side.

Being named on the bench against the Swedes goes to show that Tuchel may have him the Englishman in his plans for the future, and it could help the Blues tie him down on a new deal.