Chelsea reopen contract talks with highly-rated teenage striker Dominic Solanke

Chelsea have reportedly reopened contract talks with their highly-rated young striker Dominic Solanke. The 18-year-old forward is already in the final year of his deal at Stamford Bridge while in the midst of a contract wrangle.

Solanke – who is considered to be among the brightest prospects in English football – reportedly stunned the West London club last season when he demanded as much as £50,000-a-week to extend his stay with the Blues. The striker is also said to have asked for guarantees of first-team football before he signs a new deal.

Chelsea rejected the proposal put forward by Solanke's stepfather, who has been handling negotiations on behalf of the teenager. That has left the striker in an awkward situation because Chelsea have a policy of securing their young players to new contracts before agreeing to loan them out.

Meanwhile, the Blues will not offer him first-team football at Stamford Bridge unless he commits himself to Chelsea, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Solanke, therefore, has less than a week before the transfer window closes to agree a new deal with Chelsea, which would enable to him to gain much-needed first-team experience on loan at another club.

Surprisingly, Solanke was named on the substitutes' bench for Chelsea's League Cup victory over Bristol Rovers earlier this week and, according to the Daily Telegraph, talks between the two parties have now reopened. If he signs a new deal at Chelsea, the striker could soon enter the first-team fray at Stamford Bridge with Loic Remy poised to go out on loan.

Solanke spent last season out on loan at Vitesse Arnhem in Holland, scoring seven goals in 26 appearances. The teenager has made one senior appearance for Chelsea, but has been a stand-out performer for the club's youth teams.