Frank Lampard has signed a new five-year deal which will keep him at the club until 2013.
Lampard’s contract was due to expire at the end of the 2008/09 season and he had been the subject of much speculation as Jose Mourinho attempted to lure him to Inter Milan. Chelsea rejected at least one bid from the Serie A side, thought to be in the region of £9m.
While a four-year deal had been on the table for some time, Lampard held out for a longer-term contract and the club eventually agreed to give him an extra year.
"I’m personally very happy and I hope I’ve made the Chelsea fans happy," Lampard told Chelsea TV, where news of the deal was announced in a ‘world exclusive’.
"I’ve had seven great seasons here and now I can have many more.
"It’s been a difficult summer for many reasons and that was one of the frustrating things, a lot of things were said that were untrue, some things were said that were slightly true and that was frustrating.
"Now we can put that to bed and concentrate on football."
Amen to that.
Lampard has scored 110 goals in 369 appearances, including 71 in 247 league games, since moving to Stamford Bridge from West Ham for £11m in June 2001.
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