Frank Lampard

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Starting to think Super Frank has played his last game for Chelsea. I don't think he'll leave but will be given a Ferreira-like contract and move into the coaching ranks.

[Alan Partridge 1,124]

MLS for Frank?

[different level 1,056]

I believe Frank has another season in him and I can see him getting another one-year contract. How cool would it be Super Frank and JT retiring together with us winning the league and the CL as a parting gift A bit unlikely though as JT is at least a couple of seasons from the end of his career.

[zolayes 14,489]

I think if it is not announced( a new contract) in the next week then Frank is leaving

[The_Flash 1,144]

I am really hoping with JT already signed up I hope that Frank is next. He is incredible it would break my heart if he isn't here here, come on chelsea and Frankie get it signed.

[manpe 10,855]

Serious question: What happens when Cole, Lamps and JT leave? How do we meet our HG quota? We can't assemble the whole squad from foreign league players alone. And perhaps even a more burning question - where will the English blood come from? I don't like those teams that have no national identity in them, I used to make fun of Arsenal 'cause of that, but soon we might be in the same situation. Mourinho said he liked English players, but who can we realistically replace them with? I hear only foreign names being thrown around, except for Shaw of course.

Basically what I'm afraid of is that we'll lose a huge chunk of identity when those guys leave. Sure we might become a kickass team with all foreign players bought from around the world, but it just wouldn't feel right. When you lose national players from your team's core, something goes missing, especially in derby games.

Anyway, this is why I feel we absolutely cannot let all three of them leave at once, it would be too big of a blow to our identity. Maybe release them one by one every upcoming season, but still the questions/worries I posed above remain.

[Pizy 17,860]

I guess I'm in the minority here but I think it's best that he goes. He didn't contribute nearly enough this past season to merit him taking up a roster spot that could be used on either a young player of ours or a new CM. He's miles off the pace now to compete against the biggest sides and he doesn't bang them in when he was playing in the other matches.

It was important to have him here this year when it was all about transition and helping José mentor the players. He surely helped as a leader and role model and I'm thankful for that and all he's done for Chelsea. But this season was about securing CL football and growing as a side with young players. Next season our ambitions will be much higher and expectations will be sky high. I just fail to see where Lamps fits in as a player. He's just not good enough for a side who wants to win the PL and CL.

Terry obviously needed to stay as he's one of our most important players both on the pitch and off of it and Ash should be given another year because we're thin at fullback, but Lamps doesn't have an important purpose anymore.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Serious question: What happens when Cole, Lamps and JT leave? How do we meet our HG quota? We can't assemble the whole squad from foreign league players alone. And perhaps even a more burning question - where will the English blood come from? I don't like those teams that have no national identity in them, I used to make fun of Arsenal 'cause of that, but soon we might be in the same situation. Mourinho said he liked English players, but who can we realistically replace them with? I hear only foreign names being thrown around, except for Shaw of course.

Basically what I'm afraid of is that we'll lose a huge chunk of identity when those guys leave. Sure we might become a kickass team with all foreign players bought from around the world, but it just wouldn't feel right. When you lose national players from your team's core, something goes missing, especially in derby games.

Anyway, this is why I feel we absolutely cannot let all three of them leave at once, it would be too big of a blow to our identity. Maybe release them one by one every upcoming season, but still the questions/worries I posed above remain.

Excellent point. Which is why I think we're more likely to sign a Lallana, Shaw, Barkley, John Ruddy, etc. in the future than people expect.

[Jype 6,398]

Excellent point. Which is why I think we're more likely to sign a Lallana, Shaw, Barkley, John Ruddy, etc. in the future than people expect.

Just did a quick check on the HG status of our squad for next season, with the assumption of a few incoming and outgoing transfers.

GK: 2 non-HG keepers (whoever they may be), Blackman?

DF: Azpi, Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Kalas*, Van Aanholt?, New CB signing, New LB signing

MID: Matic, Ramires, Lampard, MvG, New CM signing

AM: Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Schürrle, Salah

CF: New striker (Costa?), Lukaku*, Torres

I think it's safe to say that whoever we end up with between the sticks next season there will most likely be two non-homegrown keepers with Blackman as third choice. In defense we'd be pretty well covered homegrown-wise with Terry, Cahill, Kalas and Van Aanholt. The futures of Kalas and PvA are still very much unclear but their homegrown status should definitely be kept in mind when deciding what to do with them this summer.

In midfield we'd have only Lampard as a HG player with four non-HG, including a new signing who would ideally just take Mikel's non-HG spot in the team.

All five AMs are non-HG, although Salah will still count as an U21 next season so he will not have to be registered.

Up front we would ideally have Costa, with Lukaku as second choice. Only including Torres there because we can't seem to get rid of him. If Lukaku is sold and replaced by a non-HG player, that won't affect our chances of meeting the squad limits this time but in the future it might, so that's also something to think about before deciding to ditch him.

Grand total:

• 7 HG players (Blackman, Terry, Cahill, Kalas, PvA, Lampard and Lukaku)
• 16 non-HG players (Ivanovic, Azpi, Matic, Ramires, MvG, Hazard, Willian, Oscar, Schürrle, Torres, 2 keepers, 2 new defender signings, new CM signing, new CF signing)
• One U21 player (Salah)
• Not included (assumed sold / released): Cole, Luiz, Mikel, Ba, Eto'o

Would still leave enough room for one more non-HG player next season so we're fine, at least for now. The defenders we seem to be linked with (Varane, Moreno, Rodriguez) would all still count as U21s next season and wouldn't have to be registered in the squad just yet, same if we recalled Zouma instead of opting to buy a new central defender or Kurt just taking Kalas' place in the team.

* not sure if Lukaku and Kalas count as HG, just going by what I was able to find on WAGNH. Both still U21 though, so either way they wouldn't take non-HG places in the team if we kept them next season.

[zolayes 14,489]

I guess I'm in the minority here but I think it's best that he goes. He didn't contribute nearly enough this past season to merit him taking up a roster spot that could be used on either a young player of ours or a new CM. He's miles off the pace now to compete against the biggest sides and he doesn't bang them in when he was playing in the other matches.

It was important to have him here this year when it was all about transition and helping José mentor the players. He surely helped as a leader and role model and I'm thankful for that and all he's done for Chelsea. But this season was about securing CL football and growing as a side with young players. Next season our ambitions will be much higher and expectations will be sky high. I just fail to see where Lamps fits in as a player. He's just not good enough for a side who wants to win the PL and CL.

Terry obviously needed to stay as he's one of our most important players both on the pitch and off of it and Ash should be given another year because we're thin at fullback, but Lamps doesn't have an important purpose anymore.

IT was essential to give JT another year. I would rather Ash got another year than Frank

[Henrique 9,133]

Serious question: What happens when Cole, Lamps and JT leave? How do we meet our HG quota? We can't assemble the whole squad from foreign league players alone. And perhaps even a more burning question - where will the English blood come from? I don't like those teams that have no national identity in them, I used to make fun of Arsenal 'cause of that, but soon we might be in the same situation. Mourinho said he liked English players, but who can we realistically replace them with? I hear only foreign names being thrown around, except for Shaw of course.

Basically what I'm afraid of is that we'll lose a huge chunk of identity when those guys leave. Sure we might become a kickass team with all foreign players bought from around the world, but it just wouldn't feel right. When you lose national players from your team's core, something goes missing, especially in derby games.

Anyway, this is why I feel we absolutely cannot let all three of them leave at once, it would be too big of a blow to our identity. Maybe release them one by one every upcoming season, but still the questions/worries I posed above remain.

We just sold the most exciting english players around (Sturridge) and then bought Marin, Moses, Salah. All of them are mediocre players, I can't believe England can't produce better products than that.

but making fun of Arsenal because of that seems a ridiculous idea, specially because you aren't from UK, and they always had some great english players in their squad, right now they have to young players in NT.

But keeping Lampard because he is from England only make things worst, because it basically means the club have no faith in the younger english guys.

[manpe 10,855]

but making fun of Arsenal because of that seems a ridiculous idea, specially because you aren't from UK, and they always had some great english players in their squad, right now they have to young players in NT.

There was a period when they had no English players in their regular starting line-up, I did say "used to".

[Jase 43,479]

Frank Lampard's Chelsea future in the balance as talks threaten to break down

[Muzchap 8,966]

Frank Lampard's Chelsea future in the balance as talks threaten to break down

Daily Fail?

Must be true then....

Lampard talks break down as he nips off to the toilet - after drinking 2litres of water...

[Blue Armour 4,165]

Serious question: What happens when Cole, Lamps and JT leave? How do we meet our HG quota? We can't assemble the whole squad from foreign league players alone. And perhaps even a more burning question - where will the English blood come from? I don't like those teams that have no national identity in them, I used to make fun of Arsenal 'cause of that, but soon we might be in the same situation. Mourinho said he liked English players, but who can we realistically replace them with? I hear only foreign names being thrown around, except for Shaw of course.

Basically what I'm afraid of is that we'll lose a huge chunk of identity when those guys leave. Sure we might become a kickass team with all foreign players bought from around the world, but it just wouldn't feel right. When you lose national players from your team's core, something goes missing, especially in derby games.

Anyway, this is why I feel we absolutely cannot let all three of them leave at once, it would be too big of a blow to our identity. Maybe release them one by one every upcoming season, but still the questions/worries I posed above remain.

And even that's not a certainty...you would think of looking back to the youth team for assurance, but with our recent record with youngsters, there's an uneasy feeling about how we're going to replenish the English quota. I'm not English, but I feel that there has to be any strong representation from the HG quota, as more often than not, those players stick with the same club for several seasons (provided the club is doing well, of course)

[The_Flash 1,144]

I really hope he stays he has at least another season in him, please sign him up

[Henrique 9,133]

Drogba was far more useful in 2012 than Lampard is in 2014, and many people here were saying the best thing was to move on, and end his Chelsea career to pave the way for a new era.

While would be crazy not giving Terry an extension, its time to believe in young english talents.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

It would be a strange feeling watching Lampard still playing in World Cup while we announce to release him for free at 1st July. I hope we could finalize the deal before World Cup.