• Chelsea manager Frank Lampard gives out instructions during training. Getty
    Chelsea manager Frank Lampard gives out instructions during training. Getty
  • Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi, centre, during training at Cobham ahead of Chelsea's Champions League match away to Sevilla. Getty
    Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi, centre, during training at Cobham ahead of Chelsea's Champions League match away to Sevilla. Getty
  • Henry Lawrence. left, and Tammy Abraham, right, during training. Getty
    Henry Lawrence. left, and Tammy Abraham, right, during training. Getty
  • Chelsea attacker Timo Werner during training. Getty
    Chelsea attacker Timo Werner during training. Getty
  • Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech, centre left, and N'Golo Kante, centre right, at training. Getty
    Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech, centre left, and N'Golo Kante, centre right, at training. Getty
  • Chelasea attacker Tammy Abraham, second right, during training. Getty
    Chelasea attacker Tammy Abraham, second right, during training. Getty
  • Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi during training. Getty
    Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi during training. Getty
  • Chelsea defender Thiago Silva attempts to win the ball during training. Getty
    Chelsea defender Thiago Silva attempts to win the ball during training. Getty

Football

Frank Lampard keen to extend Chelsea contract: 'I would love to be part of the long-term plan here'

Blues manager has 18 months left on his existing deal

The National

December 05, 2020

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Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has said he would "love" to be part of the club's long-term future by signing a contract extension.

Lampard, 42, has 18 months left on his contract at Chelsea, having succeeded Maurizio Sarri in July 2019. He arrived at Stamford Bridge as a relative novice in managerial terms having spent a single season at second-tier Derby County. However, the former midfielder has a strong affinity with Chelsea and its supporters following 13 exemplary years as a Blues player when he became the club's all-time leading goalscorer.

Lampard guided Chelsea to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season, despite contending with a transfer ban and the sale of star player Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.

He is now working to make the club title contenders, having overseen a squad rebuild that cost around £220 million ($296m) in the summer transfer window.

"In terms of my contract, it seems to have flown by, the time I've been here," Lampard told a news conference ahead of Chelsea's Premier League match against Leeds United.

"I knew there were a lot of circumstances at the beginning that were going to make last year transitional and maybe slightly difficult.

"Now I feel like I would love to be part of the long-term plan here. The signings we made in the summer, other than probably Thiago Silva, particularly, were signings for now and the future."

The new signings have already made an impact, with Chelsea aiming to go top of the Premier League with a win over Leeds on Saturday, while they are also on a 15-game unbeaten run in all competitions, which has helped qualify top of their Champions League group.

Yet Lampard feels his players need more time to challenge on both domestic and European fronts.

"At the minute, I think we're working towards something and people are getting very excited and mentioning us being in a title race this year," he said.

"I always saw it as a longer plan than that and it might take until next year for us to really challenge, because of the signings, because of the bedding-in process."

UK