New deal: Frank Lampard is considering his future
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Chelsea have offered Frank Lampard a new
£130,000 a week contract in a desperate bid to prevent the England
midfielder from leaving. The deal would put Lampard, who has one
year on his current contract left to run, on the same salary as
John Terry, the Chelsea captain.
According to the Daily
Mirror, Lampard has stalled on signing a new contract for the past
two years and is said to be considering a move to Inter Milan, who
are expected to announce former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho as
their new coach this week. Lampard, who is on holiday in Dubai
where he is considering his options, had a close relationship with
Mourinho and played a key role in the Portuguese's Chelsea team
that won back-to-back Premier League titles.
However, Lampard was
deeply touched by the support Chelsea gave him when his mother died
recently, and that could prove a factor in his decision over his
future. Another issue that could sway Lampard's mind is Chelsea's
choice of manager following the sacking of Avram Grant, with
Portugal coach Luis Felipe Scolari and Dutchman Frank Rijkaard now
said to be the frontrunners for the job.
The Daily Express
quotes a Chelsea source as saying: "Frank is tempted by the
prospect of joining up with Jose again. They still have a really
close relationship and Frank regards the period when he worked with
Jose as the best time of his career. He still has a great affection
for Chelsea, but he feels the time may now be right to move on.
"It is a massive decision. Frank feels indebted to the
club for the way they supported him after the death of his
mother."