
Frank Lampard insists he wants to stay at Chelsea for the rest of
his career - but will delay contract talks until the end of the
season.
The England midfielder, 29, has two years left to run on his
current deal at Stamford Bridge.
Recently, captain John Terry - who will miss the start of the new
season through injury - penned a lucrative new contract to pledge
his future to the club.
Lampard, however, maintained the "issues" he had concerning the
ongoing talks were not financially driven, but they had to be right
before he would commit effectively the rest of his playing career
to Chelsea.
"I have always expressed my desire to stay at the club," said
Lampard.
"Unfortunately we have had problems with the negotiations. They
have gone on a long time.
"Now the season has started, I have told the club I do not really
want to get involved in negotiations which are not going to end
well while I am playing football, because this is a big season for
me and for the club.
"My intention is to stay. I have got two years left on my
contract.
"I want to stay for the rest of my career. It is as simple as
that.
"I hope it gets sorted and that it gets sorted soon, at the end of
the season, or the next time [we talk] - and the club know
that.
"The club know my intentions, and it is certainly not a money
issue.
"Some figures get banded about, inflated figures, maybe that is
done on purpose - but a lot of that is not true.
"Certainly the issues I have got with the club are not to do with
money.
"This is going to be my last contract, which will finish my career,
so I want to get it right."
Lampard - who has often been linked with a move to Barcelona -
believes it is better to delay discussions, rather than risk him
losing focus for the new campaign.
The England midfielder continued: "That is why I said to the club I
did not want to keep talking backwards and forwards now, because at
the end of last season, it was on my mind and it does not
help.
"That is not an excuse, but it does not help.
"I did not enjoy that."
Lampard maintained: "All I want to get clear out there that my
intention is to stay. I want to stay, and I love the club.
"Hopefully I will stay for the rest of my career."