Barcelona have been linked with Frank Lampard with a member of their ruling body claiming that the club would like to sign the Chelsea midfielder.

The official, Jordi Orriols, believes the club have set their sights on signing Lampard – runner-up to Barca’s Ronaldinho in this year’s European Footballer of the Year award.

Asked who would be Barca’s next major signing might be, he replied: “Frank Lampard. Now all the stars want to come to Barca and we have the luxury of being able to choose.

“Lampard is one of the best and it would not be strange to see him at the Camp Nou,” he told the El Bocon website.

Orriols also claimed that Barca had now eclipsed Real Madrid as Spain’s number one club.

“In the last two years we have overtaken them because our model is more about sport than marketing,” he continued.

“At Real Madrid image is more important and it creates more publicity when a player is going out with a singer.

“With us, by contrast, when we sign a player we spend a whole week with him and check up on who his friends and family are.”

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