Where is Frank Lampard heading to?

Much of the talk milling around this season is about Super Frank Lampard’s future at the Club. The famous No. 8 has made it very clear to owner Roman Abramovich that he would like to stay at the Bridge (even accepting a pay decrease) and fans around the globe have shown that the feeling is mutual. However, at this point, no agreement has been made. The most logical question that follows is where will Lamps end up? While all options are still in the rumor phase, below are the clubs that have shown possible interest.

1) Manchester United

The Mirror and Daily Mail both report that Man Utd has shown interest in Lampard. However, is there a spot for Lamps at United? The short answer is yes, there is. Take into account the fact that both Scholes and Giggs are in action for United (with Scholes set to retire at the end of the season) and that Frank is a good four to five years younger and the idea doesn’t seem that insane. It’s clear that Lamps is good enough to succeed wherever he plays but it would be an absolute dagger to blue hearts around the world if he was to take his talents up north.

2) L.A. Galaxy

Now, I’m torn on this one. While I love everything that Frank has done in his amazing career for Chelsea, as an American I would love to see him play against my hometown boys, Chicago Fire. Financially, Lamps can hope to earn at least the same amount of big money that his compatriot, David Beckham, secured during his time in America.

If (and only if) Chelsea does not offer Frank a new deal, Frank could become an absolutely dominant player in MLS, just like Cuahtemoc Blanco was for Chicago Fire a few years back. While I would like to see him stay at Chelsea, L.A. might be able to offer Lampard more in terms of ad/PR. Coming to America to play football could endear him to the entire western hemisphere and solidify him as one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the game. All in all, if Frank doesn’t suit up in Chelsea blue next year, I’d rather see him improve the quality of L.A. than Man U.

3) Everton (yeah, really…)

One of the clubs that have shown interest is the OTHER merseyside squad, Everton. While anyone who has followed English football for a while knows that Everton has the ability to produce quality players, with Lampard they are putting their system in reverse. Everton makes good footballers, but they never stay for long (Rooney, Arteta, and Lescott to name a few). And with the case of Lampard, Everton would be gambling on the assumption that his quality is enough to put them over-the-top and into Champions League football.

That being said, Everton can probably offer Super Frank more in terms of leadership and freedom on the pitch than United or Galaxy. Everton has been knocking on the door of Champions League football for several years now and the addition of Frank Lampard to that squad can only help. Given the recent downfall of cross-town rivals Liverpool, Everton has the ability to give teams like Tottenham and Arsenal a run for their money in league play. The only thing is, to give teams like Arsenal or Tottenham a run for their money, Everton will have to fork up a lot of it for Frank. Although, if Lampard is interested in Eastern mystical healing practises and hot yoga instructors, then Everton might be the right place.

4) Chelsea(?)

While this option might seem unlikely, at this point it is not completely out of the question. Hopes of Frank remaining at the Bridge have been reignited given the fact the he has scored 11 goals in the last 18 matches, and given the fact that Abramovich was giving Lamps his best “sexy eyes” during the FA Cup tie against Brentford.

Maybe Abramovich is playing hard to get? Or maybe he legitimately wants to let one of Chelsea’s most dominant figures to simply walk away. In the end, it’s going to be a lose-lose for Abramovich. If he ends up signing Lampard, he will be heralded as a billionaire puppeteer who cares more for drama than football. While on the other hand, if he doesn’t sign Lampard, Abramovich will be seen as nothing more than an out-of-touch playboy without any respect for Chelsea Football as an institution. Either way, Roman needs to consider the way United tenured Giggs and Scholes, and the way Liverpool tenured Gerrard, as a realistic option. All the clubs mentioned above know full well that Lampard has probably three or four years left in the tank, which is why Roman needs to wise up and sign the man. Losing Lampard to another club, especially another Premier League club, would be seen by all as a symbolic loss more than a practical one.

Carefree & KTBFFH