July 02, 2007
ROMAN ABRAMOVICH wants Frank Lampard and John Terry signed up by next week.
The billionaire Chelsea owner has so far stayed out of the contract row between the club and its two England stars.
But with midfielder Lamps and defender Terry at loggerheads over new deals, Abramovich has now asked Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon to resolve the issue once the players return for pre-season.
Chelsea fly out to Los Angeles a week today and Kenyon is expected to make the trip for face-to-face meetings with both players.
So far both have rejected offers of new deals believed to be close to the £121,000 per week which Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack earn.
Abramovich had insisted nobody at the club will be paid above that amount but his new initiative suggests he may relent.
All negotiations until now have stalled over the club’s stance that there has to be a maximum wage.
Reports suggest Lamps has already turned down an offer in excess of Sheva and Ballack’s deals.
But both Lamps and Terry have argued their contribution to the Chelsea cause in the time Rom has been at the club makes them exceptional cases.
That argument has so far fallen on deaf ears but it now seems Blues will go the extra mile to ensure both stay at Stamford Bridge.
There is still work to be done though to repair the damage done to the relationship between the club and its skipper and vice-captain.
Terry feels he has not been shown the respect his performances and commitment to the club deserve.
Lamps feels the same and is disappointed the situation has not been sorted out before now.
Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce was last night closing in on his fourth summer signing as talks with Chelsea star Geremi, 28, got under way.
It is understood Blues have given Toon permission to meet the Cameroon international, who can play at the back or in midfield.
Geremi spent a season on loan at Middlesbrough from Real Madrid before arriving at Chelsea for £7million in July 2003.
Allardyce said: “Hopefully, we can persuade Geremi. It’s a long way from done but hopefully we can progress it over the next few days.”
Newcastle pushed through their £2.89m swoop for Czech international centre-back David Rozehnal on Friday — after already landing Joey Barton and Mark Viduka — and hope to sign Barcelona’s
ROMAN ABRAMOVICH wants Frank Lampard and John Terry signed up by next week.
The billionaire Chelsea owner has so far stayed out of the contract row between the club and its two England stars.
But with midfielder Lamps and defender Terry at loggerheads over new deals, Abramovich has now asked Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon to resolve the issue once the players return for pre-season.
Chelsea fly out to Los Angeles a week today and Kenyon is expected to make the trip for face-to-face meetings with both players.
So far both have rejected offers of new deals believed to be close to the £121,000 per week which Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack earn.
Abramovich had insisted nobody at the club will be paid above that amount but his new initiative suggests he may relent.
All negotiations until now have stalled over the club’s stance that there has to be a maximum wage.
Reports suggest Lamps has already turned down an offer in excess of Sheva and Ballack’s deals.
But both Lamps and Terry have argued their contribution to the Chelsea cause in the time Rom has been at the club makes them exceptional cases.
That argument has so far fallen on deaf ears but it now seems Blues will go the extra mile to ensure both stay at Stamford Bridge.
There is still work to be done though to repair the damage done to the relationship between the club and its skipper and vice-captain.
Terry feels he has not been shown the respect his performances and commitment to the club deserve.
Lamps feels the same and is disappointed the situation has not been sorted out before now.
Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce was last night closing in on his fourth summer signing as talks with Chelsea star Geremi, 28, got under way.
It is understood Blues have given Toon permission to meet the Cameroon international, who can play at the back or in midfield.
Geremi spent a season on loan at Middlesbrough from Real Madrid before arriving at Chelsea for £7million in July 2003.
Allardyce said: “Hopefully, we can persuade Geremi. It’s a long way from done but hopefully we can progress it over the next few days.”
Newcastle pushed through their £2.89m swoop for Czech international centre-back David Rozehnal on Friday — after already landing Joey Barton and Mark Viduka — and hope to sign Barcelona’s