after a wait of three years Frank Lampard has signed a new five year contract. Chelsea fearlessly stride into the future with their dynamic dynamo still in their team.

Rejoice rejoice

When I saw this news I only thought one thing: FIVE YEARS? He's 30 now!

They're selling him next year, don't you worry about that.

I doubt it. think of frank not just as a playing asset, but also as a financial liability to the tune of £40 million. No-one is going to offer chelsea a transfer fee, and pay him the nearly £40,000,000 that chelsea have signed up to pay him in the twillight of his career.

I bet cech and essien must be delighted that they just signed their contract and didn't just demand a ridiculous figure. And think what any half decent footballer is going to demand in wages in the future, just because when he arrives a 34 year old lampard will be on £150,000 a week.

Listening to his 'press conference' on 5Live was a joy. I proffer a transcript of that wondrous occasion where the music of his voice unlocks aural treasures hitherto undiscovered by the ears of man.

Lampard: "Nyah, nyeh, nyeermnyeerner...big contract...nehnehnyeh...playing days...nehnehnernernyer...seven great season...nmehmehmeh...many more....lot of untrue fings....mehmehmyah.....Milan bid for me...nehmehmyah...nerner...club's been very good to me....nernernyerner...club gave me time and I appreciate that...mehmehnehnerneener....100% the right decision...nernernernyeh...nerner...mermer..."

Who could deny this articulate and compelling man the right to accept the bounty thus awarded him? Ah, Frank, you are truly a stalwart of the modern game. We salute you, sir.

"Nyah, nyeh, nyeermnyeerner...nehnehnyeh... in The Sun!" <grins awkwardly, goes cross-eyed>

I'm not sure whether I'm more depressed by the fact that a portly carthorse is being paid that sort of money, or because I won't get to see him being exposed as a distinctly average journeyman in Serie A and sent back to The Best League in the World on long term loan after 6 months.

Could be the former. There's nothing more depressing than seeing a rich man being given a press conference to tell the world he's even richer. And boring.

I wouldn't fancy the Chelsea management's chances at poker much. With these sort of negotiations the player starts high, or ridiculously high in Lampard's case, negotiations go on and some sort of middle ground is found between the two positions.

Not so here. Credit to his agent for seeming to get him the best of all worlds but you have to ask what the hell Chelsea are thinking of here. Did they really ask themselves who else could give him a contract anywhere near those terms ?

Inter don't pay those sort of salaries and would never commit to a 5 year term. Barcelona and Real Madrid weren't interested in the slightest and Chelsea's English rivals Arsenal and Man United have a strict policy on contracts for over 30 year old, while Liverpool don't need him nor could afford him.

So why didn't they call his bluff and see if he would walk away for free but accept a vastly less lucrative deal ? I bet he wouldn't have walked, the original 4 year deal was miles better than he would have got anywhere else.

Much of the strength of Lampard's game is his running, his box to box energy. Those are the type of players who decline fastest in their early 30s when their engine starts to weaken. I mean he's a decent passer and all, I don't think he has the craft in his game to adapt it into something else when his legs have gone.

dalliance, not to disagree with the substance of your post, but Inter will be paying Ibrahimovic 12 million euro next season.

Yes, I know.

Oh dear god....

"Did they really ask themselves who else could give him a contract anywhere near those terms ?"


If anyone in world football would of been prepared to match those terms, it'd be Moratti. I actually think he would of got a similar enough contract with Inter, Mourinho claimed he is the best pro he ever worked with and could of pushed Moratti to give him what he wanted. I don't think the move to Inter broke down due to the lack of money Inter were prepared to offer.

Have to say that whenever I read Senor DingDong's username (with a Speedy Gonzalez inner voice) it raises a smile. That is all.

I assume this makes him the top paid player in the premiership.

Does anyone know how many players are paid more than £100k.

Ferdinand
Gerard
Ronaldo
Terry
Owen

any more

Rumour is that Ramos is the top paid manager in the world at £120k per week.

Spurs top earner is Darren Bent who scratches along on a miserly £92k per week.

Much of the strength of Lampard's game is his running, his box to box energy. Those are the type of players who decline fastest in their early 30s when their engine starts to weaken. I mean he's a decent passer and all, I don't think he has the craft in his game to adapt it into something else when his legs have gone.

I think you could argue that that process started maybe a year or two ago. In mourinho's first season he was a real driving force, particularly in the second game against barcelona and against bayern munich. he's become increasingly invisible. I think he could have been quite successful for Inter Milan, but personally I'm delighted that he's staying at Chelsea.

So why didn't they call his bluff and see if he would walk away for free but accept a vastly less lucrative deal ? I bet he wouldn't have walked, the original 4 year deal was miles better than he would have got anywhere else.

it's almost three years since he first said that he was going to negotiate his new contract. The odd thing is that Kenyon was the CEO at man utd when they introduced the 1-year extension rule for the over 30's, and the only real time it was broken was to give ryan giggs a 2 year extension in exchange for a drop in wages.

The thing that is going to be awkward is whenever someone comes to sign for chelsea and they point to the seriously faded over thirties like lampard, ballack or shevchenko (in a year or two) and they are all on 135-150,000 a week. so where will negotiations begin exactly

rooney is on more than 100,000 a week. ballack, shevchenko, and I think petr cech. There is no way that bent is earning that much.