Frank Lampard is attracting interest from Internazionale, with the Serie A club watching the midfielder in the Champions League semifinal at Monaco this week.

Inter’s technical director Marco Branca was at the Stade Louis II, where Lampard was Chelsea’s best performer in a 3-1 defeat.

Branca said yesterday that he did not attend the game to assess anyone in particular but he did describe Lampard as “a great player”.

“We don’t want to talk about the transfer market at this delicate part of the season.”

Lampard is set to open talks on a new contract with Chelsea, where his existing deal expires in the summer of 2006.

His agent Steve Kutner said he was aware of Inter’s interest.

“Inter love him,” he said. “They think he’s great. They’re not the only major club in Italy who think he’s fantastic. But Frank’s got a contract at Chelsea for two more years. I think he would like to extend it and we are talking to Chelsea but we are nowhere near an agreement. ”

The ball’s in Chelsea’s court. We would like to get it done. If Frank had his way he would sign a long-term contract and stay at Chelsea.

‘It’s very flattering that other European clubs think he’s a good player but that’s as far as it has gone.”