David Luiz and Cesc Fabregas are locked in a battle with Chelsea, with the club wanting to give the duo short-term deals while they want to sign long-term contracts.
Luiz's and Fabregas' current contracts expire at the end of this season but the two 31-year-olds have been in talks with the Premier League side over the last four weeks.
Manager Maurizio Sarri wants them both to stay but Chelsea are yet to come to an agreement because of their long-standing policy of only giving over-30s one-year deals.
'I spoke with the club one month ago about this,' Sarri told reporters. 'I know very well that it's not easy, but I think that we can do a new deal for both.
'They are very important players for us and, on the other hand, it's very difficult to find a centre-back for this level, and it's very difficult to find a central midfielder technically like Fabregas. And so I think they have to stay with us.
'The deal is very difficult for this reason, I think,' Sarri said. 'Because the club wants a short contract, and the players want a long contract. So it's difficult for this reason.
'But I think, at the end, we can find a solution. I know very well that it is not easy but I think that we can do a new deal for both. They are very important players for us.
'It's very difficult to find a centre back for this level, and it's very difficult to find a central midfielder technically like Fabregas. And so I think they have to stay with us.'
Sarri has also told Ruben Loftus-Cheek he has 'no chance' of leaving in January, despite the midfielder considering his options after a lack of game time.
Loftus-Cheek has appeared four times in the Premier League — all as a substitute — and Sarri said: 'I want him to stay with me, to stay with us. So I think that there is no chance (of him leaving).
'He is, at the moment, very important for us. He had some problems to understand very well what I wanted, but now he is improving and, in the last two matches, I was really very happy with him.'
ripblstuy
187
its time to leave cesc or kovacic... because loftus cheek has potential to replace one of them but right now chelsea need winger replace of willian...
tipdoruy
134
Christensen in Luiz out. Luiz make more mistakes
posbdiknty
133
The services of David Luiz are no longer needed give Christensen chance
danoda
59
So Sarri wants Club policy overturned for a ball-dodging defender. Let them go if they're not comfortable with the 1-year contract for their age bracket. It's about time Sarri started using starlets like Christensen, Ampadu, Odoi etc.
Nesaiknruy_Legend
46
Apart from passing, Luiz has no purpose in the club. That being said, he's a liability and is past it. Fabregas makes sense cos a player of his quality is very hard to come by and he's a fantastic back up but Luiz is finished. I like his character off the pitch but as a footballer he's always been shaky and more so now in his 30s