“I still have to talk to the club” – Pedro hints at new Chelsea contract

Chelsea forward Pedro Rodriguez has dismissed rumours that he will definitely leave the club this summer.

The Spaniard is set to become a free agent on June 30 and has yet to agree fresh terms with the west London outfit.

Recent reports speculated that the 32-year-old would return to his homeland after five years at Stamford Bridge.

But the man himself says there is still a chance that he could extend his stay with Chelsea.

"As many people know, my contract is up in May [actually June],” Pedro told the club’s official website. "But I still haven't spoken to the club about whether or not it will be renewed and whether I'll carry on.

"I've seen loads of messages from Chelsea fans saying goodbye and thanking me for the time I've spent here, which I appreciate, but I'd like to tell all the fans simply that my current contract is coming to an end but I still have to talk to the club.

"I don't know whether I'll keep playing here or not. That conversation is still to come. But I have not signed for any other club. I belong to Chelsea. I have a contract. My wish is to be able to stay here but obviously we don't know what will happen. I have to speak to the club and let's see what happens."

Pedro is playing his part in the fight against COVID-19, having donated 3,000 protective screens to hospitals in Spain to help contain the spread of the illness.

The 2019/20 campaign is currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Pedro has been doing his bit to help the cause.

The winger has donated 3,000 protective screens to Spanish hospitals and says he is keen to help people back in his country.

"We are working together with a lot of hospitals, not just in the Canary Islands, but also in Madrid, Barcelona and other parts of Spain," he added.

"We have begun some good projects which include distributing protective screens for all the nurses, doctors, security guards and police officers.

“We're trying to distribute the biggest possible number of protective masks for all these professionals, not only in the Canaries, but in the areas where there have been the most cases, in Madrid and Catalonia.

"We're also trying to help many people through this initiative by supplying food for healthcare workers.

“Given the long hours they are working, it's sometimes hard for them to get access to food, so we're delivering meals to workers at different hospitals in various locations. These are some of the first initiatives we have but we're open to getting involved with many others.

"I will try to help the maximum possible number of people, so that once more we can say thank you to all the people who are confronting this situation day after day and who have to contend with the virus, and with the people who have been affected on a daily basis.

“We want to thank them once more in this way for the work they are doing every day."

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Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).