Ancelotti rubbishes Lampard reports
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has rubbished reports that Frank Lampard will be leaving the club in the summer transfer window.
Lampard has been linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho widely tipped to take over the reigns at the Bernabeu following another trophy-less season.
Ancelotti said: “This is a joke. Lampard will stay here. When I started here last season, there was a problem with John Terry for Manchester City. And every time I said, ‘No, Terry will stay here.’ I don’t want to do the same with Frank.
"He will stay here. I don’t know if the club offered John more money after that. It’s not my problem. But there is no danger of Frank going.”
The 31-year-old signed a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge two years ago after Mourinho attempted to sign the midfielder upon his arrival at Inter.
At the time Lampard suggested he did “look at” the possibility of re-joining his old manager in Milan, but decided his future was best held at Stamford Bridge.
And Ancelotti insisted that he is determined to hold onto his star man in midfield as Chelsea go in search of Champions League glory next season.
“I know him very well and I know how he is feeling about this club, with these players, these team-mates, how important he is for the supporters," he said.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
"So it’s very difficult to think about him changing. With his kind of skill, there are no other midfield players who can score 27 goals in a season.”
The Blues claimed a historic cup double on Saturday with victory in the FA Cup final against Portsmouth - a match that featured a rare penalty miss from Lampard in the latter stages.
However. it mattered not as Ancelotti’s side wrapped up the club’s first double in their 105-year history.
By Joe Brewin
Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.