Chelsea striker Joao Pedro is set to sign a new contract with the club until 2032, with the option of two further years.
The Brazil international, 24, joined from Brighton last summer in a deal worth an initial £55m, plus £5m in add-ons.
When he signed for the club, his original contract was announced as running until 2033.
However, that deal actually ran until 2032 with an option for one further year.
Chelsea typically include those club options when stating the length of a player’s contract in official announcements.
Therefore, when Joao Pedro’s new contract is confirmed, it will likely announce him as being under contract until 2034, despite the deal itself running until 2032 with a further two-year option.
In reality, Chelsea have extended his contract on improved terms rather than reducing it.
The strategy is not only designed to protect their investment – Barcelona have been keen on the striker – but it also serves as a reward for performance.
Chelsea operate a strict wage structure, but are keen to incentivise strong performances by allowing players to move up wage bands.
They did so with Cole Palmer after his impressive form and also with Nicolas Jackson, who moved from an entry-level salary to a more established wage bracket after joining from Villarreal.
Last season, Joao Pedro became the first Chelsea striker since Diego Costa to score 20 goals in a campaign without taking penalties.
He also netted three times during Chelsea‘s Club World Cup-winning campaign last summer and has eight goals in seven pre-season matches.
He is likely to start Chelsea‘s Premier League opener at Fulham on Monday, with new signings Danny Welbeck and Emmanuel Emegha expected to provide cover this season.
His success has led Chelsea to hand him the number nine shirt, with Liam Delap relinquishing it.
Delap is available for transfer for about £50m and is attracting interest from Nottingham Forest and Leeds United.
Chelsea intend to hand out a number of new contracts to key players after the transfer window closes, with Levi Colwill and Estevao Willian among those likely to be considered.
