Monaco and QPR circling as Lampard eyes Chelsea exit
Published:Frank Lampard’s time in west London may not be over yet – although his days at Chelsea look numbered.
According to the Daily Mail, the England midfielder has been told he won’t be offered a new contract in the summer (although other sources claim that talks simply haven’t opened up yet) and that’s alerted former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri.
The Italian – who signed Lampard from West Ham United in 2001 – is currently in charge at French second tier side Monaco and is allegedy keen in taking the multi-millionaire to the tax-free principality.
If true, it does seem somewhat like wishful thinking on behalf of Ranieri although, realistically, it’s probably more likely that it’s the Daily Mail who are the wishful thinkers with this story.
A far more likely outcome of the Lampard mini-saga is that he’ll stick around west London and join up with uncle Harry at Loftus Road.
There have been rumours regarding the possibility of a move to QPR for quite some time but, with a new deal still not on the table, it’s becoming increasingly likely that Chelsea’s third all-time top scorer will join the relegation strugglers.
The Sunday People reckon he’s after a move in January but it’s far more likely that he’ll stick around until the summer and join Redknapp’s side on a free transfer – if QPR avoid relegation.
The Hoops are currently 8/11 to be playing Championship football next season and can be backed at 11/10 to stay up, with the latter odds surely set to shorten in the unlikely event that they bag Lampard in January.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
