Frank Lampard might be good enough for Roy Hodgson and England but the midfielder is not good enough for Jose Mourinho and Chelsea.
The 35-year-old midfielder heads to Brazil as a free agent, although he could negotiate a new deal at the Stamford Bridge club giving fans hope they might not have seen the last of him.
Lampard, along with team-mates Samuel Eto’o, Ashley Cole and Mark Schwarzer were this week put on Chelsea’s ‘released’ list, indicating that their contracts have run out.
The Premier League’s official website says:
“Please note that players signified as a ‘free transfer’ or released by a club could remain there next season and so this list should not be seen as definitive for players leaving their club.”
Lampard had been expected to sign a new one-year deal at Stamford Bridge, similar to what John Terry recently did, but the fact that he did not, could indicate that Lampard is keeping all his options open ahead of Brazil. A good performance in the World Cup could get Lamps a two year contract with a top club in Europe, while Major League Soccer has a long standing interest in bringing him to the states with the New York Red Bulls or LA Galaxy as his two most likeliest destinations.