Chelsea yet to open talks with Frank Lampard about new deal

England international scored twice against Everton

Frank Lampard has held no talks with Chelsea over a new contract, with the England international set to leave the London club either next month or in the summer unless a new deal is agreed.

The 34-year-old was highly influential in the Blues' 2-1 win at Everton yesterday, netting both goals to move one behind the club's second-top goalscorer of all time, Kerry Dixon. It has been reported for some time that no new deal will be forthcoming for Lampard, with the player having been linked to the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chinese Super League side Guizhou Renhe and also west London rivals QPR.

Asked by BBC Sport whether he would be around at Chelsea long enough to equal or beat Dixon, Lampard said: "I'm only one behind so hopefully I'll beat that, but you never should count your chickens.

"At the minute there is nothing been said and my contract's till the summer. I'm enjoying playing, I'm working hard in training, I'm loving being part of the team and the ability we've got in the team.

"That's all I can tell you at the minute, and that's fair enough for me, I'm happy just to keep playing well and contributing to winning games."

Chelsea's supporters again called for the club to offer Lampard a new contract, but asked if he had sat down with Blues officials to discuss a new deal, Lampard said: "No."

Interim Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez brushed aside questions about Lampard's future after the win which took his side up to third place in the Barclays Premier League.

"Lampard is a great player, a good professional, who is doing well for us and I will try to bring the best out of him until the end of the season," said Benitez.

"He is one of the players who if he gets in the box he can be dangerous.

"He is under contract. He has shown his full commitment. He is a great player and my job is to keep him fit, happy and scoring goals.

"If he can score goals every game I'll be pleased."

One goalscorer linked with a move to Chelsea is Newcastle striker Demba Ba.

The 27-year-old Senegal international has been widely talked about with regard to a January move to Stamford Bridge to provide added firepower to the Blues attack. Ba has a release clause of £7million in his Magpies contract, but Benitez would not be drawn on the reports when asked about it at Goodison Park yesterday.

"We don't talk about our business in public. My job is to prepare for the games, enjoy them if we win and then after they (the club) will let me know what is going to happen," he said.

"He is a player who is playing for another team so I don't like to talk about other players."

PA