Lampard disenchanted as Chelsea stall on new offer

(GETTY IMAGES)

Frank Lampard last night insisted he wants to stay at Chelsea – but is becoming disenchanted by the club's failure to make him an offer.

Lampard, 29, has 16 months left on his contract. Under European law he could buy himself out of the remaining year this summer, with Chelsea only receiving a year's wage (around £5m) in compensation. Next summer he could leave for nothing and could sign a pre-contract agreement with another club in January.

Lampard, who has a Spanish wife, has often considered playing abroad. He would also be a target for Jose Mourinho when the former Chelsea coach gets a new job.

However, in the wake of his four-goal haul in Wednesday's 6-1 drubbing of Derby County, Lampard said: "I've made it very clear I want to be here, and I want to know what's going on.

"I've been approached by the club a few times saying they're going to come to me with something and they haven't.

"If we wait to the summer and nothing happens then I've got a year left, which is not a position I want to be in. But some things are out of your hands. The club are saying they want to wait until the summer, so I'll have to wait for the summer," he added.

Much may depend on who is manager at Stamford Bridge come the summer, but Lampard, who has scored 107 goals for the club, would surely be an important part of any manager's plans.

"I love playing for this club," he added. "It's been the greatest days of my career, everyone knows the affection I have for the place."

Avram Grant, the current manager, said: "We plan for next season and I can tell you that Frank will stay in Chelsea, I am almost sure about that. The club wants Frank and he wants to stay but the negotiations are not my area."

Turning to the Premier League title race, Lampard said: "It is almost in our hands. We are five points behind Arsenal with a game in hand and 10 games to go. We've been on runs before where we've won 10 out of 10, or near enough, and that could win us the title."