ROMAN ABRAMOVICH is ready to blow an amazing £16million
on a point of principle.
That’s how much it will cost the Russian billionaire to force
Frank Lampard to see out the final year of his Chelsea contract.
First, the Blues will miss out on the reported £10m fee Jose
Mourinho is prepared to hand over to take his favourite player to
Inter Milan.
Then comes the England midfield ace’s £6.1m wages for the next
year. And all to keep a wantaway star who is desperate to quit the
club he once loved. Now, obviously Chelsea’s mega-rich owner can
easily afford to take the hit — even in the midst of the current
global economic meltdown. But Abramovich actually believes it is
worth every penny to prove a point.
A Chelsea insider explained: “Roman won’t budge on this one. Why
should he? It’s a matter of principle. “Frank Lampard is one of our
best players and we want him to stay. “We have made him a very,
very good offer to keep him at Chelsea and even now we still hope
he will see sense and agree to it. “But whether he does or he
doesn’t he will not be going anywhere this season.
“Yes, Inter Milan want him and have made a bid. “But can someone
explain why we have to sell arguably our best player when we don’t
have to? “The situation is crystal clear. “Frank Lampard has a
contract with Chelsea for another year.
“We will certainly honour that contract in full and we are
expecting Frank Lampard to do likewise. “If Frank wants to leave
after that then that’s his decision and he will go with our
blessing and our thanks for eight marvellous years. “And that’s it
— end of story.”
But is it really as cut and dried as that? Has anyone at
Stamford Bridge considered the hidden and unquantifiable cost of
keeping a player against his wishes and the damaging effect that
could have on new boss Luiz Felipe Scolari’s squad?
The answer is yes.
I understand there are key figures at the club who believe
selling 30-year-old Lampard now makes best business sense. They
point to his age, his run of injuries last term and argue that £16m
could be better spent elsewhere. But Chelsea has not been run as a
business since Abramovich took charge in July, 2003 — and probably
never will be.
But it’s not just about money. Fears that Lampard’s commitment
to the Chelsea cause could be adversely affected have been aired in
certain quarters, regardless of the England star’s previous heroics
for the Londoners.
One told me: “In the past Frank would go through the pain
barrier to be out there for Chelsea but will he still put body and
soul on the line after all of this?
“Personally I think he would, because he is such a consummate
professional — but there would inevitably be a question mark in
some people’s minds and that can’t be healthy.”
And all this before a ball has even been kicked in the new
season. Surely the festering fallout from this bitter break-up will
only become worse once the campaign is underway. Certainly the
Lampard camp remain as entrenched as Abramovich.
The man himself is trying to maintain a dignified silence but
one of Lampard’s closest friends spoke out to ridicule Abramovich’s
tough-guy stance. He scoffed: “I suppose Abramovich thinks he is
playing hardball but who does he think he is kidding?
“Look at the facts. Frank will earn more than £6m at Chelsea in
the next season whether he’s playing or not — that’s some hardship!
“He’ll still be living in a fabulous house in Knightsbridge and
he’ll still be driving around in his Ferrari. “And then he’ll sign
for Inter in January and be playing for them in a year’s time
anyway.
“Mourinho’s already said as much so Frank has nothing to lose.
“But Chelsea will lose out because they are kissing away a fortune
by keeping him. “Now that doesn’t sound like good business to
me.
“But when have Chelsea and Abramovich worried about running a
good business? “When they spent millions and millions to sign
Sebastien Veron, Hernan Crespo and Andrei Shevchenko?
“What did that lot do for Chelsea compared to Frank? “Yet the
club bends over backwards to look after the flops and treats a hero
like Frank like this. It doesn’t make sense.” Intriguingly the end
of Lampard’s seven-year love affair with Chelsea came on the day
new boss Scolari was unveiled by the Blues.
That morning Abramovich refused to improve the club’s 'final
offer' of a £140,000-a-week, four-year deal. Lampard viewed the
timing of Abramovich’s move as a significant signal. The marauding
midfielder realised his hopes of ending his career at the Bridge
were left in tatters.
He had wanted a five-year deal similar to the one 27-year-old
skipper John Terry had signed last season. But Abramovich baulked
at such a deal for a player who has just hit 30, despite his
amazing feats for the club. And that signalled the end for Lampard,
who had been waiting for a new deal for two years.
His pal explained: “Even if Chelsea eventually crumble and come
up with a new five-year deal I’m sure Frank will tell them where to
stick it — the damage has been done.” Inter president Massimo
Moratti is still hopeful of landing Lamps — but admits the
Nerazzurri have done all they can.
Moratti said: “We have made our offer to Chelsea. He is an
element we like — but more than this we cannot do.”
