Frank Lampard and Inter Milan: The Neverending Story

Inter Milan President, Massimo Morrati came out this week to add yet more fuel to the flames surrounding Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge, by saying the Chelsea midfielder wants to join the Italian champions.

Morrati said that it was now just down to whether Chelsea would sanction any deal. This, of course, doesn’t look likely with the Blues absolutely set against selling their vice-captain, especially to Jose Mourinho.

Having said that, Chelsea have shown signs of softening their stance recently, with Roman Abramovich reportedly admitting that Lampard would be free to go for £20 million. This again doesn’t look likely with Inter valuing Lampard, a 30-year-old, at closer to £10 million. Something that seems perfectly reasonable for a player who is in the last year of his contract.

On the other side of this story is Lampard and Chelsea’s contract “negotiations”. To me it looks more like an arm wrestling match, with the loser seen as weak, and more crucially, unpopular with the fans.

Both sides are in a sticky situation, if Peter Kenyon doesn’t give Lampard the five-year contract he thinks he deserves for his loyal service, Kenyon and the board will lose yet more credibility with the fans for pushing out one of the clubs star assets.

But on the other hand, Lampard’s insistence on a five-year deal is starting to smell of greed. After all, a four-year contract for a 30-year-old is a very good offer. Lampard himself faces the possibility of venom from supporters if he doesn’t put pen to paper, his loyalty is already being questioned, and he and his agent’s constant flirting with Inter isn’t helping.

The most crucial aspect of this saga is just like everything else; something that hasn’t been done. Frank Lampard has not himself, looked into a camera and said what he wants. We know Chelsea want to hold on to him, at least for a year, and we know Lampard’s agent wants as much money as he can get, be it five-years at Chelsea, or in Milan with Mourinho.

But what every Chelsea fan wants to hear, no matter what he says, is for Lampard to make his feelings clear. If he said he wanted to leave, it would be understood he wants a new challenge, and Chelsea fans would wave him into the sunset with fond memories of a great servant.

This continued silence is disrespectful to the people who pay his wages and idolise him. As long as Lampard hides behind the excuse of wanting a longer contract, Chelsea fans will turn against him. I can assure you, in a small minority, it is already happening.

If he were to stay silent, and let this stalemate continue into next season before announcing he’d signed a contract with Inter in January, it wouldn’t be welcome on the terraces.

Football fans are fickle creatures, and suddenly Lampard could find Stamford Bridge very similar to Upton Park, where he gets a less than cheerful welcome, and nobody wants that to happen to a Chelsea legend like Lampard has become.

This story, for everyone involved's sake, needs an ending, and soon.