Inter president urges Lampard to request transfer
Sunday, 13 Jul 2008 21:02
Lampard wants to join Mourinho at Inter Milan
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Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has urged
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard to hand in a transfer request to help secure his dream move to Italy.
Reports claim the Blues have rejected an £8 million approach from Inter as they are determined to keep the 30-year-old at the club.
Lampard has become frustrated with the Stamford Bridge hierarchy for not agreeing to the terms he wants for his new contract and now wants to link up with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho at Inter.
Chelsea are believed to have turned down Inter's initial bid for the player but Moratti thinks the Blues will let Lampard leave if the player makes it very clear that he wants a transfer.
Moratti said: "We have made our offer to Chelsea and now it depends on the player.
"He is a player we like, but we cannot do any more than that."
Lampard is in the final year of his contract and could buy out the remaining 12 months under a Fifa by-law which would make him a free agent.
The England international contemplated that earlier in the year, however, it now seems more likely that if Chelsea can not agree a transfer with another club this summer he will leave when his contract naturally expires.
The News of the World claims that Lampard will sign an agreement on January 1st next year with Inter as at that point he will be free to negotiate with any team outside the Premier League.
The paper claims Lampard will sign a four-year, £160,000-a-week deal with the Italians, £20,000 more than Chelsea are prepared to offer him at the moment, that will see him join Mourinho's side next summer.