Chelsea in talks with Lampard, pursue Robinho

[TheGift]

Chelsea will try to convince Frank Lampard to commit his future to the club by ensuring he feels loved.

The England midfielder will discuss extending his contract at Stamford Bridge after England's upcoming friendlies against the USA and Trinidad and Tobago.


Lampard, 29, has one year remaining on his present deal and he and Chelsea have reportedly failed to agree an extension for more than a year.

He was linked this week with a move to Italian giants Inter Milan but Blues chairman Bruce Buck is confident the player will opt to stay in west London.

'For Frank, the season ends in about 10 days' time, I guess, after the two England friendlies,' Buck said.

'We will sit down with Frank and Steve Kutner, his agent.

'We've said along, we love Frank Lampard, the fans love Frank Lampard, and he's a great player. We want him to stay at Chelsea Football Club.

'We're hopeful, confident, that we'll reach agreement with Frank and he'll be here for the long-term.'

Lampard will doubtless want assurances Chelsea are planning to strengthen a squad which finished trophyless for the first time in four years following Wednesday night's Champions League final defeat.

He will be buoyed therefore by suggestions the club are preparing a £28million bid for Real Madrid forward Robinho.

The Brazil star's agent Wagner Ribeiro told Brazilian TV station Globo he held a meeting with Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, during which a fee for the player was discussed.

'I met Peter Kenyon in London on Thursday,' said Ribeiro.

'He told me that they (Chelsea) were considering making an offer of €35 million for Robinho.'

It had previously been rumoured in the Spanish press that Robinho would be used by the Spanish champions in a cash-plus-player deal to try and bring Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo to the Bernabeu.

Robinho, who has just enjoyed his best season in a Madrid shirt since joining in 2005, last week claimed he had no interest in leaving Spain at present.

Robinho also confirmed there was firm interest from Chelsea.

'What could happen is that I could go to Chelsea, as I have an offer from them,' the 24-year-old former Santos player told Globo TV.

Meanwhile, John Terry's Champions League nightmare may worsen if he is subjected to a UEFA study of his clash with Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez immediately after Didier Drogba's red card in the final.

The Blues captain, who missed the penalty that could have won the trophy, has denied any wrongdoing and action over an alleged spitting incident appears to rest heavily on whether or not reference to it was included in reports from the referee and the UEFA delegate.

A UEFA spokesman confirmed they had received the referee's report but were still waiting for the delegate to supply his.

If the incident is not included in either report, then UEFA may resort to examining television footage of the alleged incident before deciding on what action, if any, to take.

'The delegate's report should be in later today. We have received the referee's report but I cannot tell you what was mentioned in it,' said the spokesman.

'At the moment, there is nothing further to add.'

ESPNsoccernet - England - Chelsea in talks with Lampard, pursue Robinho

[vgarcia]

i hope he doesn't leave chelsea. otherwise chelsea would just seem like another real madrid, a team just made out of money and no constants.