Frank Lampard’s future with Chelsea remains in doubt despite him telling new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari he wants to stay with the club.
Inter had a £7.95m bid rejected on Tuesday but are expected to return with another offer on Wednesday.
Scolari spoke to Lampard on Monday and was convinced that the player wants to remain at Stamford Bridge, where he has 12 months to run on his £105,000-a-week contract.
“He said to me, ‘Boss, this, this and this’, but I want to stay,” said Scolari, who added that Lampard would be the vice-captain to John Terry.
“I said, ‘I want you here and happy’ and he said, ‘I stay and I am happy’. Now, it’s a business decision for Lampard and the club. He has one year minimum with us.”
Lampard’s agent Steve Kutner, however, pointed out that his client’s future remained “completely unresolved”.
“Felipe had a very amicable chat with Frank, who told him he always envisaged ending his career at Chelsea,” said Kutner. “He also told him that unfortunately the terms for a new contract cannot be agreed with the board, despite discussions having been ongoing for over two years.”
The 30-year-old wants financial parity with Terry, who earns £135,000 a week, and a five-year contract. Chelsea have offered him only four and are refusing to compromise, much to the player’s dismay.
Chelsea insisted on Tuesday that they had not received an offer from Inter for Lampard, but the Italian club’s president Massimo Moratti claims a bid was made.
“This is not true,” said Moratti. “There was an offer and we confirm it. However, we don’t want to create any big problems.
“They replied that they have no intention of negotiating, as was their right. Now we will see.”
Lampard also has an option under Fifa rules to buy out the remaining 12 months of his contract.
Scolari meanwhile, confirmed that he intends to trim the Chelsea first-team squad.
“I want to work with 23, 24 players, maximum 25, because I will bring in some young players [from the academy],” he said.
“I have 32 players but now is the time to change the players. They know this because when I spoke to them [on Monday], I said this in front of them, ’23, 24 or maximum 25 [will] stay with me’. After this, it is not my business any more. Contracts, changing clubs; it is for the players. Maybe the players will say after, ‘The coach did not say this to me before’. No. All the players know that I want to work with 24, 25 maximum.”
