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The contract situations of stars such as Kylian Mbappé and Paul Pogba garner plenty of attention. Big stars bring lots of teams to the table, and get lots of headlines during transfer season. But, there are also other less urgent -- but equally important -- matters for the top clubs in Europe to pay attention to. They spend the months between transfer windows deciding on whose contracts they want to extend and for how much. In particular, pay attention to these six players.

1. Xavi Simons

After months of reflection, the talented young Paris Saint-Germain midfielder is inching closer to extending his contract with the French club. Negotiations are in progress, and Xavi Simons, who turns 19 in April, has received an improved proposal from PSG and could soon sign a new long-term deal. His current current contract runs out in June and Barcelona were lurking in the shadows so time is of the essence here as he prepares for a monumental Champions League showdown against Real Madrid this week (stream on Paramount+).

2. Rafael Leão

The Portuguese winger is enjoying an excellent season with AC Milan, with 11 goals and six assists in all competitions. The club has decided to start negotiations to extend his contract now that they've inked Theo Hernandez to a long-term deal. This deal his a good chance of happening because Leão has expressed interest in staying at AC Milan, but it's still a work in progress.

3. Bukayo Saka 

Because we have a long way to go until Saka's deal expires in June 2024, there's no urgency to hammer something out right away, but make no mistake that Arsenal envision keeping the 20-year-old rising star for a long time. Saka, who has scored nine goals and provided five assists in all competitions, is considered as one of the best talents in Europe. The reaction from the Saka camp is clear: He loves Arsenal and is currently focused sole on qualifying for Champions League football next season, negotiations for a new contract could take place in the summer.

4. Harry Kane

It's not March or April to negotiate a new deal for Harry with Tottenham. The English striker has an excellent relationship with Antonio Conte and with the director of football Fabio Paratici. But similar to Conte, who weeks ago questioned whether he was the right fit for the club in frustration to a shock loss to Burnley, Kane wants to wait out a little longer before deciding his future with the club. Which team will Tottenham build for next season? What investments will there be? Is the Champions League football dream still realistic? Those are all questions Kane will probably want to know before Spurs again make an offer for a new deal.

5. Andreas Christensen

Christensen will not sign a new contract with Chelsea and has made the decision to leave the club as a free agent come summertime. He has ruled out other suitors from the Premier League in an effort to respect Chelsea. Barcelona have beat out Bayern Munich with the best proposal on the table and are on the final stages to secure an agreement with Christensen; they hope to have the paperwork done this week. 

6. Robert Lewandowski

Although his current agreement expires in about 15 months, Lewandowski has expressed his desire to fast-track a contract extension with FC Bayern immediately otherwise he'd consider leaving the club he's been with for eight seasons this summer. Talks will soon be underway for the man who scored 41 goals in 29 league games last season and has 28 in 25 Bundesliga games this season. The 33-year-old Poland international awaits a new proposal from Bayern Munich, but if the offer does not live up to his expectations, he could join the number of strikers who are poised to trigger a massive domino effect in the market.