Chelsea have rejected a formal approach from Inter Milan to sign England midfielder Frank Lampard.

BBC Sport revealed on Monday that Inter had contacted the Mourinho drops 'special one' tag ...
Revenge not on agenda - Lampard ... Blues to begin talks in a bid to reunite Lampard with former boss Jose Mourinho at the San Siro.

However, a statement on Chelsea's website read: "We have informed Inter that we will not enter into any discussions regarding the transfer."

The 30-year-old's current contract at Stamford Bridge expires next summer.

Should he fail to agree a new deal with Chelsea before then, Lampard would be free to leave the club without his new club paying a fee.

That appears to be reflected in Inter's valuation of the midfielder, with reports suggesting they were preparing a £6.5m bid.

But the Blues appear reluctant to allow Lampard to leave, while BBC football correspondent Jonathan Legard said on Monday that Chelsea still expect Lampard to see out the final year of his contract and, if anything, sign a new longer-term deal.

Lampard met new Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari this week as the squad returned to their Cobham base for pre-season training.

Scolari may shed some light on the situation on Tuesday when he addresses the English media for the first time as the new man at the helm.

However, with reports suggesting Lampard might be willing to buy out the remaining 12 months of his contract, as permitted under Fifa rules, and following the arrival of Portugal midfielder Deco in June, Chelsea's firm stance is unlikely to put an end to the speculation that Lampard will leave.

(BBC)

<< Back