Date: 1st May 2013 at 1:00pm
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If Jose Mourinho does return to Chelsea as many are expecting him to, will Frank Lampard end up prolonging his stay at Stamford Bridge? The Independent certainly believe so.

Sam Wallace’s story says that the Blues are willing to offer a one-year deal, on his current pay scale, to the player once the new manager is in place after the end of the season. It has to be said that this is all a bit tabloid-y for the Independent and it would be more at home in the pages of the Mirror or Daily Mail.

It’s thought that Mourinho would support a deal for Lampard and Wallace even goes as far as suggesting that a new contract could be announced in the self-proclaimed Special One’s first press conference. (It isn’t even confirmed and we already know what his pressers are going to be about?)

Lampard, now 34-years-old, has expressed his desire to stay at the club beyond this season and the fans are upset that no contract seems forthcoming, but the England midfielder also said that he wouldn’t want to see his days out on the bench before he hangs up his boots which would likely be the reality whether Mourinho is there or not.

Whilst I think Mourinho would love to have Lampard around I doubt that it’s a deal breaker as far as he is concerned as he would be returning for the good of his own career and to try help Chelsea towards a better future, so any individuals would be a secondary. He’ll also have to contend with a budget which wasn’t the case the first time around before UEFA’s financial fair play rule became a reality, so the club has to prove that it is cutting costs somewhere as the current wage bill is higher than the turnover and Frank doesn’t earn the rights off his image as much as he used to, unfortunately.

Chelsea should really be in the market for a central midfielder during the transfer window (please let it be Joao Moutinho) and there’s a number of them already on the roster. We can’t keep all of them and I think Ramires and John Obi Mikel are fairly secure, whilst Michael Essien represents a much more willing squad member than Lampard, so if Jose’s to choose between his veterans then I reckon he’d opt for the Ghanaian…but this is pure speculation and conjecture, just hypothetically speaking.

Whatever does come to pass, I just hope that Lampard furthers his legendary status by becoming our all-time goal scorer, finishes in the top four and wins the Europa League to add another medal to his tally. He should be treated with the utmost respect and will remain an example to younger players wherever he ends up, but I do think that’s how he should bow out and I do appreciate that isn’t everybody’s view.

Source: The Independent
 

 

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