Lampard undecided as Inter bid denied

SOCCER NEWS ROUND-UP:FRANK LAMPARD has yet to decide where his future lies despite returning to Chelsea's Cobham base yesterday for pre-season training, but Luiz Felipe Scolari and the club's hierarchy are understood to be resistant to the idea of selling the midfielder this summer amid persistent interest from Internazionale.

Scolari welcomed the vast majority of his first-team squad back and conducted a brief introductory meeting as he began work in earnest as Avram Grant's successor. The anticipated one-to-one talks with Lampard did not, however, take place and may now have to wait until tomorrow, with Chelsea quick to deny claims from Inter - now managed by Jose Mourinho - that an offer worth about €9 million for the midfielder had been sent to Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening.

Inter's technical director, Marco Branca, has indicated that Lampard, who returned from a holiday in Italy last week and has now entered the last 12 months of his contract, would be offered a four-year deal worth about €163,000 a week to lure him to San Siro.

Branca confidently suggested he would travel to London this week hoping to conclude the transfer, having set a deadline of July 14th, when the Italians return for their own pre-season preparations, for a deal to be done.

Chelsea are adamant no formal offer has been received, and in any case they would value the player far higher than the suggested amount.

Inter's general manager, Ernesto Paolillo, conceded last night that a difference in opinion remained "between quality and price".

"Lampard is just one of our targets," he said. "If it is not possible to buy him we will try someone else."

The midfielder himself is still tempted to be reunited with Mourinho on the continent but is also very conscious of the support offered to him by the club after the death of his mother towards the end of last season.

Scolari appears likely to resist Lampard's immediate departure, the Brazilian clearly recognising the value of a player who has regularly managed 20 goals or more over his seven-year Chelsea career. But there is recognition from both sides that the uncertainty over his future will have to be resolved before the squad depart for their tour of China, Malaysia and Russia on July 20th.

The pair met briefly yesterday as the new manager oversaw the club's medical staff putting each of the players through rigorous tests on their first day back at Cobham. The majority of the first team were present, only those involved in the latter stages of Euro 2008 and African World Cup qualification given special dispensation to return to the club later this week.

Gareth Barry has told his team-mates he is upset his Aston Villa career has ended in acrimony, as the England midfielder's protracted move to Liverpool edges closer at the same time as Martin O'Neill prepares to welcome Steve Sidwell as a replacement.

Both transfers are expected to go through during the next few days, with Sidwell due to talk with Luiz Felipe Scolari at Chelsea today and Liverpool likely to sign Barry before the weekend.

Barry has not spoken publicly since he was fined two weeks' wages and banned from pre-season training after he criticised O'Neill in an interview, but Martin Laursen revealed the Villa captain told him he was "not happy with the way it has ended".

Liverpool have hitherto refused to meet Villa's €23-million valuation of Barry but Peter Crouch's imminent move to Portsmouth is expected to free up the funds that will push a deal through.

Steve Finnan may be used as a makeweight although it is understood Liverpool and not Villa have suggested the Republic of Ireland right back be part of the transfer. - (Guardian Service)