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Saturday 22nd November 2008 Make us your HOME PAGE  What is RSS?
 

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LAMPS TELLS MATES: I'M OFF

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Frank Lampard: Could hand in transfer request

Thursday July 10,2008

By Tony Banks

FRANK LAMPARD last night told close friends at Chelsea: "I am finished with the club. It is time to go."

But as the dispute between the England midfielder and Chelsea became increasingly bitter, Lampard was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to hand in a transfer request as the club threatened to make him see out the last year of his contract.

Inter Milan are expected to make a second, increased bid of around £9million today as they try to capitalise on the breakdown of relations between Lampard and the club. 

Chelsea have adopted an uncompromising line with Lampard, who has rejected the offer of a new £140,000-a-week deal.

The Daily Express can reveal that the last 24 hours have made up Lampard’s mind. He has told his team-mates he intends to quit the club after seven years to join Inter Milan, where he has been told he would be a great success by new Blackburn Rovers boss and former Inter star Paul Ince.

Lampard was infuriated on Tuesday by the club’s claims that all was well and that he wanted to stay, with new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari caught in the crossfire in his first week in the job.

A Chelsea source said last night: “Frank sees no future at the club now. He feels totally let down.” Lampard has six reasons for feeling so disillusioned:

* Chelsea’s failure to offer him a £150,000-a-week five-year contract.

* Being told from the start of the latest negotiations that it was a take-it-or leave deal, in what he feels are strong-arm tactics.

* Chelsea’s insistence that he sees out the remaining year of his deal if he does not sign.

* Rejecting bids from Inter without discussing them with him.

*  Statements at Scolari’s press conference that he had said he would stay.

* The failure of Scolari to talk to him this week, despite Lampard making it clear he met the Brazilian before he started the job.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon yesterday  said: “We want Frank to stay and an offer is still on the table. 

“We hope we can reach an agreement but if we can’t we have always worked on the basis Frank sees out the terms of his deal.”

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We want Frank to stay and an offer is still on the table
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Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon


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