MLS side LA Galaxy are trying to tempt Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard to the US with the promise of a lucrative contract and image rights, according to recent reports.
Lampard’s contract will expire in June and it is widely anticipated that he will depart Stamford Bridge, with the US being touted as his most likely destination. The Sunday People believe that Galaxy want to sign the veteran England player on a two-year contract worth $6 million-a-year, plus a well-paid image rights deal.
But they also say that the 34-year-old may wait on agreeing to any potential move as there is always a chance that Rafael Benitez’s successor may want to keep him around, it may also cause him a few problems if he wants to reach 100 caps for England like his team-mate Ashley Cole if he was to move outside of Europe.
Jose Mourinho was the man that was heavily expected to replace Benitez and many thought he’d prefer to keep Lampard at the club but the latest reports suggest that this move has gone cold, with some saying that Roman Abramovich isn’t convinced that Mourinho is worth re-employing and his friends in the press arguing that the Portuguese manager is snubbing Chelsea despite lobbying for the job.
In Lampard’s case, I think it is unlikely that he will stay even if the next manager isn’t against it as the club has taken a stance and would like to reduce the hefty wage bill, so I can’t see him earning the big bucks when he’s not currently part of the first-team plans and is even less likely to be so in future. The Daily Star had reported that he would take a significant pay cut to stay at Stamford Bridge a couple of months ago, but it’s also thought that it is unlikely, especially as the player has openly expressed that he has no interest in being a bit-part player previously.
