Premier League: Andreas Christensen signs new contract with Chelsea

Young central defender Andreas Christensen has tied his future to Chelsea after signing a new four-and-a-half year deal with the club. The 21-year-old Denmark international has established himself as a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge this season, despite having to compete with more illustrious names for a spot in Antonio Conte's starting eleven. Christensen joined Chelsea on a free transfer at the age of 16 from Danish side Brondby and got his chance to shine this season due to a severe injury to fellow central defender David Luiz. "It feels really good to sign a new contract and I’m just happy to be committed to Chelsea for the future," said Christensen. "I’ve played a lot of games, I’m enjoying it at the club and everything is working well." The Danish central defender spent the last two seasons on loan at Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach, where he scored 7 goals in 82 appearances in all competitions. This season he has already made 25 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions and he also has 15 caps for the senior national team of Denmark. Club director Marina Granovskaia added: "This contract is reward for the excellent form Andreas has shown in the first half of the season. He showed immense potential when he signed for Chelsea in 2012 and is now enjoying the benefits of the dedication and professionalism he has shown since. After two seasons on loan in Germany we were convinced he was ready to be a part of the squad this season and he has grasped the opportunity with both hands. We are delighted he has chosen to commit his future to Chelsea and we look forward to four-and-a-half more successful years with Andreas at the club." Chelsea are 1/6 at Bet365 to finish inside the Premier League top four this season.