Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly has signed a one-year extension to his contract which will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2005.
There had been speculation that the 34-year-old World Cup-winner was set to leave Stamford Bridge with John Terry and William Gallas ahead of him in the central-defensive pecking order.
However, the Frenchman has now accepted an offer to stay.
He revealed on his personal website, www.marcel-desailly.com: "Chelsea have offered me a contract extension of a year and I have accepted, which means I will be at the Blues until 2005."
Desailly joined Chelsea from AC Milan for Stg£4.6million in 1998 and became a firm favourite among the Stamford Bridge faithful.
Chelsea chief executive Trevor Birch said on www.chelseafc.com: "We are delighted. Marcel is a champion, he has seen the progress we are making at Chelsea and has decided he wants to remain a part of it."
