Lampard delays talks on new deal

• omgukilledkenny

  10 Aug 07, 02:16

  
  
  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."
• used

  10 Aug 07, 02:18

  get a replacement. he is 29 already and still think he is indispensable
• omgukilledkenny

  10 Aug 07, 02:20

  if he really loves the club, he would have signed already.
• CKeer

  10 Aug 07, 10:26

  Where's the loyalty? Show it if you claim there is.
  
  Cheers.
  CK
• RaTtY8l

  10 Aug 07, 10:28

  Originally posted by CKeer:

  Where's the loyalty? Show it if you claim there is.
  
  Cheers.
  CK

  hes showing it, loyalty to money
  
  
• zocoss

  10 Aug 07, 11:21

  
  
  Frank Lampard has dropped a bombshell on Chelsea's preparations for the new Premier League campaign by demanding his contract talks are put off until next summer. Lampard is frustrated because talks have dragged on through the summer without agreement. Now he has ordered his advisers to end negotiations so the issue does not distract him from his football.
  
  Lampard said: "I have always expressed my desire to stay at the club but we've had problems with the negotiations. They've gone on for quite a long time and now the season is starting I've told the club I don't want to get involved in negotiations that are not going to end well while I'm playing. 'I had that towards the end of last season and I didn't enjoy it."
  
  With John Terry injured, Lampard is set to captain Chelsea as they open their season at home to Birmingham on Sunday. "People have talked about inflated figures but money is not an issue," said Lampard.
  
  "This is my last contract, my biggest contract and I want to get it right. I want to stay at Chelsea for the rest of my career and I hope it gets sorted out at the end of the season."
  
  Terry became Britain's highest paid footballer this summer when he signed a five-year deal worth £135,000 a week. Lampard, currently on £105,000 a week, would argue he deserves at least the same because of the role he has played lifting Chelsea to the top of the English game.