Tammy Abraham has had his Chelsea contract extended by another year to 2023 after a clause present in the deal he signed in 2017 was activated.
The England striker was on the scoresheet in the Blues' 3-2 win over Crystal Palace, with Frank Lampard's side having won consecutive matches as they aim to finish in the Champions League spots.
The clause in Abraham's contract gives Chelsea some further breathing room as they consider the forward's long-term future, with his original deal having been due to expire in 2022.
Should the Blues consider a sale, they now have more leverage in any possible transfer talks for the 22-year-old, who is currently the club's top scorer with 16 goals in all competitions.
The clause itself was agreed when Abraham signed a five-year deal in 2017 and was based on appearances and goals, which has now been achieved by the Blues' No.9.
Lampard was happy to see the striker break his 10-game goal drought against Palace, with his rhythm having been disrupted due to an ankle injury sustained against Arsenal in January.
"It will be really important for Tammy because he is desperate for goals," Lampard told reporters.
"He hasn’t scored a for a while, it helps his confidence and it is good for me. It gives me other options. He came on later in the game, he scored the winning goal and I'm pleased for my strikers."
Indeed, Abraham's representatives will still target a new contract in the near future to reflect his status in the squad as he currently ranks as one of the lowest-paid players in the first team on around £50,000 a week.
Lampard spoke ahead of the Palace game about Abraham putting his contract talks out of his mind and how he expects an agreement to be reached with Blues director Marina Granovskaia, who will lead the talks.
"I think on Tammy’s contract we’re not at a critical level with it and I’ll leave that between him and the club to discuss that side of it," Lampard told reporters. "I don’t think it’s something in his mind now. It certainly shouldn’t be.
"What needs to be in his mind now is these games we have coming up and how much he can give us on the pitch, whether he’s coming on as a sub or starting games. He has had a really good season.
"He hasn’t scored so much in the second half of the season and as a young player, it’s always clear that when you have those periods there’s only one way out of it and that’s work and repetition in training and trying to make the most out of every moment you get.
"I just think that’s where Tammy’s at. The contract will hopefully look after itself. It’s between him and the club."
Chelsea's signing of RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner for £47m ($59m) in mid-June had thrown Abraham's future into doubt, with Olivier Giroud having also replaced him in the starting XI since the Premier League restart.
The Frenchman was one of four players who saw their contracts extended for another season but the 33-year-old's position at Stamford Bridge remains unclear, with Inter still keen on signing him.
