The agent of Chelsea midfielder, Frank Lampard, has denied claims that his client is on the verge of signing a new deal with the Premiership champions.
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon reported on Sunday that talks with Lampard, John Terry and Michael Essien were at an advanced stage.
“I think it’s fair to say that both John and Frank, we’re well down the line with new contracts for them that will keep them at the club for a substantial [period], if not the rest of their playing life,” he told BBC Radio Five Live. “That’s a great position to be in and that would be a big boost for everyone.
But Lampard’s agent says a deal is a long way off and that the ball is in Chelsea’s court.
“I had talks with Peter before Christmas and I’m planning to have talks with him fairly soon and that’s where we are. At the moment it’s a long way off,” Lampard’s agent Steve Kutner told The Guardian.
“[Lampard] has two years left and it’s down to Peter to talk to me, which I’m very happy to do.
“I think the ball is very firmly in Chelsea’s court because of the length of time Frank has on his contract and, as has been widely reported, there is a Fifa ruling that if he wants to leave he could. But that’s nowhere near his mind at the moment.”
He added that the possibility of Mourinho leaving was not a factor in negotiations. “Frank never gets involved,” he said. “All he’s interested in is trying to win everything for Chelsea. When we are nearer a position where we have something serious on the table I will chat with him and see where we are going and he will make a decision on what he wants to do.”
