Lampard wants £150,000 per week

06.07.2008

FRANK Lampard has stunned Chelsea by telling them he wants £150,000 a week.

The club has offered the England midfielder a four-year contract worth £140,000, a deal which would make him the highest-paid player in Premier League history, but Lampard has told them he wants an extra £10,000 and a fifth year.

Lampard, 30 last month, has warned Chelsea he may otherwise join Inter Milan, where former boss,Jose Mourinho is now manager.
Chelsea believe a four-year offer is generous to a player of his age but Lampard cites 35-year-old Claude Makelele, who was recently given a one-year extension.

Lampard has a year left on his current £120,000-a-week deal and Mourinho said this week he did not expect him to leave Chelsea until next summer.

Chelsea has been frustrated in its attempts to complete the capture of Zenit St Petersburg playmaker, Andrei Arshavin after the Russian club blocked contract talks in London on Friday.

Arshavin was due to discuss a move with Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich and club officials. Instead, he was called in for training by Zenit, even though manager, Dick Advocaat confirmed he will not play on Sunday against Tomsk.