Chelsea Transfers: 5 Reasons Why Frank Lampard Should Leave Stamford Bridge

Although the midfielder’s individual accolades would point towards a player worthy of many European sides, it seems Chelsea aren’t all that fussed about hanging onto the services of Frank Lampard past this season.

The England veteran is out of contract in June and is yet to be offered an extension at the club despite claiming he’s adamant to remain at Stamford Bridge (via Guardian).

That being said, it would be best for club and player alike to cut all ties when Lampard enters free agency this summer with the following five slides giving reason as to exactly why that’s the case.

Having spent more than the last decade of his career in West London, Chelsea have got the best years out of Frank Lampard that any club could have hoped for.

Since 2001, the Blues have won three Premier League titles, a Champions League crown, four FA Cup trophies as well as two League Cups and a couple of Community Shields, all of which Lampard has been present for and contributed massively towards.

Although the 2012-13 campaign perhaps hasn’t gone as many at the Bridge would have hoped, last season’s Champions League triumph isn’t a bad note to end things on, a note Didier Drogba chose to take full advantage of.

Lampard remains the highest-scoring midfielder in Premier League history and recently scored his 200th Chelsea goal, a remarkable achievement for one playing outside the forward positions.

With so much positivity associated with his Blues tenure up until now, it would be wrong of Lampard to continue on in such a bit-part role for the club and risk sullying what has so far been a wonderfully fruitful partnership.

Although Chelsea find themselves in an FA Cup semifinal, set to meet Rubin Kazan in the quarterfinals of the Europa League and are still in the hunt for a top four league finish, the 2012-13 campaign has been a disappointing one for supporters of the West London outfit.

After the Champions League surprise victory last season and a summer that saw them bring in the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar and interim manager Rafa Benitez, one wouldn’t have been blamed to think the pieces were in place for further development.

However, the capital outfit have instead regressed in areas of their season and currently find themselves fighting to even feature in the next Champions League.

While Jose Mourinho’s arrival and the acquisition of millions of pounds worth of talent might change the attitude of some Chelsea fans, Frank Lampard couldn’t be blamed by many for perhaps wanting to leave a club on a downward slope.

Of course all such predictions will undoubtedly be proven false and a Lampard-less Chelsea will surely go on to win every piece of silverware under the sun next time around, but the reasons to exit are nevertheless there.

The Blues are no longer the intimidating monolith they were in the mid-'00s, and instead it’s clubs such as Southampton, QPR, Reading and West Brom that aren’t afraid to challenge the English giants.

At 34 years of age, Lampard’s next move is likely to be the last of his career, and the playmaker wouldn’t want to spend those years regretting the summer when he could have made a quiet move away from the Blues.

Probably the most poignant reason for Lampard to call it a day on his Chelsea career, the player simply doesn’t appear to be wanted at Stamford Bridge, or at least not by those people that make the decisions.

Despite giving the club some of their greatest successes, the reigning Champions of Europe aren’t exactly chomping at the bit to agree to an extension with their star, but that isn’t something for the player to be glum about.

Under foreign ownership and an even greater tally of foreign managers, an English stalwart’s presence would appear to have lost value among some of those at the Bridge, but that doesn’t necessarily apply elsewhere.

With the likes of Manchester United, Juventus and a host of MLS outfits all being linked with Lampard’s signature in recent months (via Independent), it seems there are certainly those out there ready to show the central midfielder what gratitude is, the sort of which he isn’t receiving in his current surroundings.

As mentioned in the previous slide, interest in Frank Lampard is high, and it’s not necessarily all a step down.

Among those supposedly raising their attention in the 34-year-old sits Premier League leaders Manchester United, Serie A leaders and current Italian champions Juventus (via Telegraph), Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain (via Daily Mail) and LA Galaxy, David Beckham’s former side and US giants (via Mirror).

So, as one can see, not only does “Super Frank” have the opportunity to move on from Stamford Bridge, he can actually increase his chances of filling his trophy cabinet a little more as well.

Many are of the disposition that life in football seems to end after 30, but, as Andrea Pirlo has shown at Juve, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes with the Red Devils and Xavi at Barcelona, there is worth to be had even from aging legs.

While silverware is all well and good for any footballer, a player edging towards what could very possibly be the last club of his career also has to think about his bank account, however greedy that might sound.

Having featured in the English top flight for so many years, we of course don’t have to speculate that Lampard’s bank balance isn't a healthy one, but that doesn’t stop the world’s elite from considering their pension plans at this stage of their career.

After all, the midfielder’s current dispute with Chelsea allegedly comes down to the fact that the pair can’t agree upon a deal that sees Lampard receive the kind of salary he’s after and for the period of time he’d like to stay.

Not as desperate for his services, Europe’s elite can afford to offer terms only slightly better than what he might receive at Stamford Bridge.

On the other hand, the lucrative temptation of a move to China (via Daily Mail), emerging as a major contender for the world’s aged professionals, is one a lot of players may find hard to resist.

Like any other star, Lampard has to think about life after his playing career, and with just five years left until he hits 40, a move to one of Asia’s high-paying divisions is another avenue worth exploring.

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