The Serb's importance to the Blues cause has been highlighted in recent months and he is set to be rewarded for his fine form and huge influence on Jose Mourinho's side

By Graeme Bailey



Chelsea are close to finalising a new deal for midfielder Nemanja Matic.



Talks between Matic's representatives and Chelsea began back in November and a deal is now edging closer to completion.



The Serb is set to secure a bumper pay rise, earning in excess of €135,000 per week, having impressed hugely since returning to Stamford Bridge from Benfica last January.



His importance to the Chelsea cause has been highlighted in recent months in particular. Blues boss Jose Mourinho hailed him as a "giant" at the back end of last year, before the midfielder's influence was magnified in December as the club lost their first match of the season at Newcastle when he was suspended.



Mourinho has fiercely defended him in recent weeks, too, not least when he was sent off for shoving Ashley Barnes at Stamford Bridge in retaliation for a shin-high challenge by the Burnley man.



That earned him a three-match ban, later reduced to two by the Football Association, ruling him out of Sunday's League Cup final victory against Tottenham.



Mourinho worked on a contingency plan to replace Matic at Wembley, deploying Kurt Zouma in a holding role for the first time in his Blues career, and the former Benfica man gave a pre-match speech as he had done at Anfield earlier in the season.



"The boy was sad, we were sad for him," Mourinho said. "He made the speech in the dressing room where he expressed his pain and asked the players to have the pleasure he couldn’t have."



Matic's current deal is due to run until 2019 and he is set to extend it by an additional 12 months.