Chelsea's 'longest-serving player' Kalas set to leave to become Bristol City's best-paid player

Tomas Kalas is set to end his nine-year stay at Chelsea to join Bristol City on a permanent basis after the Championship club agreed a fee with the Blues for the defender.

The Robins were impressed with Kalas’ loan spell last season and are willing to make him the club's best-paid player as they hope to make a push for promotion to the Premier League next season.

The fee for Kalas could even eclipse the club record of £5.3 million which City paid to sign Famara Diedhiou from Angers in 2017.

Now 26 years old, Kalas has spent time on loan at six different clubs since joining Chelsea in 2010, with stints at Sigma Olomouc, Vitesse, FC Koln, Middlesbrough, Fulham and Bristol City.

Kalas is best known with Chelsea fans for making his Premier League debut at Anfield in April 2014 against Liverpool, who were on an 11-game winning streak. He helped to keep a clean sheet in a 2-0 win when Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard famously slipped in error for the first goal in a match that some cite as costing the club the title.

The Czech’s nine years at Chelsea make him the longest-serving non-academy produced player ono the club’s books. Aside from David Luiz, who left Chelsea and came back, Kalas is one of the only players to have been at the club when Frank Lampard was around as a player.

Chelsea are continuing talks for Lampard's return as manager, along with a host of his staff, as they aim to secure the Derby County boss after being granted permission to talk directly with him.

Chelsea are looking to reduce the size of their loan group amid pressure from FIFA, who want to see big clubs reduce the number of players out on temporary deals through new rules in the future, with Jay Dasilva having already completed a permanent move to Bristol City from the Blues.

Kenneth Omeruo, meanwhile, is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria but talks have continued behind the scenes as Leganes target a reduction on the option-to-buy clause to keep him in Madrid.

Several other unnamed Spanish clubs are said to be interested but a deal is not thought to be close, although he is unlikely to be returning to Stamford Bridge next season.

Jake Clarke-Salter, meanwhile, is interested in a move to Leeds United after a spell on loan at Vitesse last season.

Martell Taylor-Crossdale is understood to be close to moving on a free transfer to Chelsea's local rivals Fulham. He was thought to be deciding between both Hoffenheim and Bristol City but looks set to stay in the English capital city.