No financial fair play for Frank Lampard’s expiring contract at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea and former England star Frank Lampard is likely to be left out in the Stamford Bridge cold in London at the end of the season. The 34 year old will be out of contract in the summer and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has made his intentions clear that the midfield legend will be surplus to requirements. This is down to Chelsea’s policy of only offering players over the age of thirty one year contract extensions should they want to keep them, but in Lampard’s case it looks as if the business heads of the hierarchy are going to score over the sentimentally of one of Chelsea’s longest serving players.

London born Lampard joined Chelsea back in 2001 from West Ham and his career at Stamford Bridge since then has seen him excel. Lampard has helped the club to four FA Cups, three League Cups, three Premier League titles and perhaps Chelsea’s most famous night of all, the long-awaited triumph in the Champions League when they beat German side Bayern Munich last May. But even with his massive influence in the heart of Chelsea’s midfield, the evergreen Lampard, who the Chelsea fans want to remain at the club, looks as if he has no future left there.

Despite not entering into any contract talks with the club, Lampard has been turning in some sparkling performances during the season for the Blues. With a two goal haul over the weekend against Stoke City in the Premier League, Lampard edged closer to Chelsea’s goal scoring record. Bobby Tambling netted 202 goals during his career at Stamford Bridge between 1959 and 1970, and Lampard’s brace has put him within eight goals of equaling that tally. Remarkably Lampard’s goals come from midfield and he has surpassed the hauls of famous Chelsea strikers such as Kerry Dixon, Didier Drogba, Peter Osgood and Jimmy Greaves.

So why is Abramovich looking as if he is going to kick the fan favourite to curb? It has been suggested that Lampard’s weekly wage of £150,000 wants to be saved by the club. All clubs in European competition are under the watchful eye of the FIFA Financial Fair Play rules, where the books have to be balanced. Saving on the wages of Lampard would be a big deal for Chelsea in that respect, even it went to funding the futures of a couple of new younger players at the club. But with Lampard offering to take a pay cut to stay at the club, not even that has twisted the arm of the Russian billionaire to bow to fans’ demands to sign Lampard to an extension.

It could simply be a matter of numbers. Chelsea drafted in quality young attacking midfielders to stock up on their future options, the likes of Brazilian Oscar, Eden Hazard and Juan Mata being pencilled in as the future of the club. So there may just not be room at the club for the older legs of Lampard, despite him looking spritely and in some of the best form of his career. The goals are still flowing, and should Lampard break the Chelsea goal scoring record, it would be a fitting swansong to his Stamford Bridge career.

But should he walk away from the Bridge, it likely wouldn’t fail to be the end of Lampard’s playing career. There would be plenty of keen suitors across the world, and even top clubs in Europe who would want his services, especially as “Super Frank” would be on a free transfer. Questions may be asked whether or not Chelsea are right or not to let one of the most dynamic and faithful players the club has seen, just walk away, but it is a case of business heads winning out over sentimentality.