Chelsea's Brazil international defender Alex will follow Salomon Kalou's lead by agreeing a contract extension at Stamford Bridge this week as the Premier League leaders look to secure their first-team squad on long-term deals while they remain under the threat of Fifa's 12-month transfer ban over the Gaël Kakuta affair.

Kalou, 24, signed a new three-year contract yesterday to join the list of first-team members who have secured new terms in recent months. The Ivory Coast striker has proved a useful squad member, scoring 31 goals for the Londoners since moving from Feyenoord for about £8m three years ago, and joins Didier Drogba, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Mikel John Obi, Florent Malouda, Henrique Hilário and Michael Mancienne in agreeing new deals since the end of last season.

"I am very pleased that Salomon has signed a new contract with us as he is an important player for this club," said the manager, Carlo Ancelotti. "He is always well motivated and works hard at his game at all times. Because of this, I am sure that Salomon will become an even more important player for Chelsea in the future."

Alex is expected to follow suit despite failing as yet to feature in the first team this term having suffered a groin injury on the eve of the season. The centre-half made his name at PSV Eindhoven, where he was "parked" by Chelsea while he qualified for international clearance to play in England, and has filled in effectively at Stamford Bridge when either Terry or Ricardo Carvalho has been absent through injury.

Indeed, so impressive has he been in flashes that the likes of Bayern Munich, Milan and Real Madrid had expressed tentative interest in securing his services and were ready to open talks with the player during the midwinter window. However, talks with Chelsea began earlier in the summer with Alex initially seeking a three-year extension to his current deal, which expires next summer, with agreement having now been reached in principle for the 27-year-old centre-back to remain in south-west London.