Ronaldinho for Lampard?: What Lies Ahead for Chelsea

The last few weeks have been quite turbulent for Chelsea FC. But that may just be the precursor to another saga. 

First, there was the shocking exit of Jose Mourinho. Then came Didier Drogba's "want-away" comments.

And now there's Avram Grant's elusive say on Frank Lampard's contract extension.

After Chelsea's slimmest of wins in the Carling Cup against Leicester City, Avram Grant was quoted by a Sky Sports Reporter that he was "in the dark" about Lampard's future at Stamford Bridge.

I thought at the time it was just a lousy comment—but later today, I found out on ESPN that Grant meant what he said. 

Chelsea officially disclosed their interest in signing Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho from Barcelona, for whom they would need to pay a minimum of $86 million.

Ronaldinho is not firing on all cylinders this season—his form is not up to his standard, and he's not getting regular starts for his club. He was even dropped for several games after a falling-out with Frank Rijkaard.

Although tensions have now eased at Nou Camp, they certainly haven't at Stamford Bridge. Lampard has not opened his mouth regarding this transfer coup, but his delay to sign a contract extension heralds another possible "Big Name" departure from Chelsea. 

My question—why?

Lampard has scored 96 goals, a record for a midfielder at Chelsea. Last time out, he grabbed his second careeer hat-trick against Leicester.

Drogba has settled down quite well. The team's performance is on the uptick. Everything seems to be going Chelsea's way.

Why this distraction, then?

Chelsea have ample talent on their squad—Mikel, Cole, Essien, Malouda, Makelele, Sinclair, and Lampard himself. They have jelled pretty well, and the midfield combination looks great.

As I see it, Ronaldinho would be a "greater than the club" player for Chelsea, and he would need sufficient time to acclimate to the pace and verve of English Football. 

Let's see how the saga plays out.