China the latest mooted destination for Chelsea star

Frank Lampard’s future looks destined to lie away from Chelsea, with Chinese side Guizhou reported to have joined the queue of suitors that seems to be growing by the week.

The Blues are 3/1 shots to win the Premier League this season, where their influential midfielder has been forced to play more of a bit part as age creeps up on him.

Unhappy at the prospect of only being offered a one-year extension to his expiring deal, Lampard will seek out preferable terms on foreign shores and a move to China is all the rage for weary-legged stars these days.

He’d be following in the footsteps of former teammates Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka were he to sign on at Guizhou, and would line up alongside former Premier League player Sun Jihai.

Alike Drogba, Lampard has been synonymous with the west London club during the most successful period in their history. He added a Champions League winners’ medal to his enviable trophy cabinet last season and has featured in 381 Premier League games for the Blues, scoring 129 goals.

Andre Villas Boas tried to phase out the Stamford Bridge lynchpin to his cost last term, with Lampard proving he still had plenty to offer at the highest level.

His intention of having a couple of years added on to the one Roman Abrahamovic and co are currently offering suggests he believes he’s got a fair few miles left in the tank yet.

He’d inevitably take the Chinese top-flight by storm should he choose the Far East over the USA as a move to a rival Premier League club is out of the question.

If he is to leave Chelsea and take a significant drop in the standard of football he plays, the crucial factor that will swing his decision is sure to be which club can stump up the deepest wheelbarrow of cash, a piece of gardening equipment the elite clubs of China appear to have in abundance.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date