Luiz Felipe Scolari began life in Chelsea as new manager with the unresolved future of Frank Lampard sitting at the top of an overflowing in-tray.
Scolari’s first job as manager of the Blues will be to resolve doubts over the midfielder’s future
LONDON: Luiz Felipe Scolari began life in Chelsea as new manager with the unresolved future of Frank Lampard sitting at the top of an overflowing in-tray.
Scolari has already secured his number one transfer target with former Barcelona star Deco having signed for the London club on Monday in a deal worth just over eight million pounds.
The arrival of the Portugal playmaker has however only served to fuel the uncertainty over whether fellow midfielder Lampard will remain at Stamford Bridge or opt to join former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.
Lampard, 30, has only a year on his current contract left and there has been no progress towards an agreement on the long-term deal he says he wants to sign with Chelsea.
Scolari likes his teams to play entertaining football but it is hard to see how he could regularly find space for Lampard, Deco and Michael Ballack in the same midfield.
Despite claiming he would be happy to finish his career in west London, Lampard has in the past spoken of his desire to play abroad and he was close to Mourinho during the Portuguese coach’s 2004-07 reign at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho has made no secret of his desire to bring Lampard to Italy but was quoted on Tuesday as saying the move was more likely to take place once the player becomes a free agent at the end of the upcoming season.
“This season? I don’t think so,” Mourinho told The Sun. “Why won’t he? Well, it’s not because we don’t want him to, but I’m sure Chelsea and Chelsea’s officials don’t want to sell him. “However for the next season it will be easier for him to join me at Inter. I’m 100 percent sure in 2009-2010 he will be playing here.”
Scolari has not yet held face-to-face talks with Lampard and the 30-year-old is on holiday in Italy until next week. Deco, who turns 31 in August and had been declared surplus to requirements at Barcelona, has signed a two-year deal at Chelsea, and there is speculation that he will be joined in London by fellow Nou Camp misfits Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o.
Barca will feel they got a good price for a player whose best years may be behind him, although the player’s value was enhanced as he outshone Cristiano Ronaldo with his performances for Portugal at Euro 2008.
The Brazilian-born midfielder, who won the Champions League with FC Porto in 2004 and with Barca two years later, has set his sights on completing a hattrick of triumphs in club football’s biggest competition with his new employers.
“I am sure I have come at the right time to do great things,” he said. “I want to be able to help Chelsea go back to the way it was and come back to being the first one, not only in England but also to win the Champions League that has been their dream for so long.” Deco added.
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