CHINESE SUPER CLUB club Guizhou Renhe have claimed that they are in talks to sign Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.
Deputy board chairman Yang Xiayou said that discussions have begun with the England international, who could be set to follow former team-mates Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka to the Far East.
Lampard, as well as left-back Ashley Cole, has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge in recent weeks with his current contract set to expire at the end of the season.
“Yes, we are in contact with Lampard but so far nothing has been settled,” the Renhe official told Beijing television station BTV-6.
Roberto Di Matteo has admitted concerns about the chances of the Blues holding on to veterans Lampard and Cole, but expressed his desire to keep the duo at the club. Lampard has previously been linked with a switch to Major League Soccer in the United States, where he could link up with the likes of David Beckham at Los Angeles Galaxy.
Previously, Renhe chairman Dai Yongge has been quoted in a Chinese newspaper as saying that Lampard will join the club – who will play in the Asian Champions League next season — as captain in the January transfer window. The Chinese domestic season is set to begin in March, when Guangzhou Evergrande will defend their second league title.
