Chelsea ready to make contract announcement for key midfielder

Premier League leaders are set to make a formal announcement over a contract extension for Nemanja Matic as early as next week, The Star reports.

The Serbia international has been a regular in the heart of the midfield this season with manager Antonio Conte preferring to pair him alongside the ever-efficient N'Golo Kante.

Though Matic has been benched for the past few outings in place of Cesc Fabregas, he is likely to retain his spot in the coming games as the club edge ever closer to the title.

Matic, who has less than two years left on his current contract, has been on the radar of both Manchester United and Juventus this campaign, but the Blues are set to end all speculation by offering him a long-term deal, The Express reports.

The 28-year-old has found a new dimension to his game this season after having contributed six assists to the Blues title-chasing campaign.

Chelsea are currently 10 points adrift of close rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and they look on course to lift their second title in three years barring a major collapse in the final 11 games.