Sammy McIlroy: Frank Lampard could be perfect signing for Manchester United
Frank Lampard, caught between Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes Frank Lampard could do for Uniteds midfield what Robin van Persie has done for the Reds attack.
That is the view of former Old Trafford engine-room star Sammy Mcllroy as speculation grows that the Chelsea legend could be heading to Manchester as a free agent in the summer.
Lampard will be 35 in June and his Stamford Bridge contract ends that month.
He has been told by the Chelsea hierarchy that he wont be offered a new deal and Reds boss Sir Alex Fergusons ears are understood to have pricked up at the news.
He was similarly alerted last summer when he learnt RVP wouldnt sign a new deal at Arsenal and immediately put the wheels in motion for an audacious swoop.
The Dutch striker has been a phenomenal success so far, providing a 20-goal return on Uniteds 24m investment.
Lampard would cost nothing at the end of the season and doesnt want to leave the Bridge until his deal expires, ruling out a transfer window exit this month.
Chelsea would want a fee for a January departure but a free transfer in the summer is said to appeal to Fergie.
Lampard has been at Chelsea since 2001 and is currently the clubs second all time top-scorer alongside Kerry Dixon on 193 goals.
He is almost certain to depart as their number one hitman and, from a midfield position, thats a mouth-watering potential addition to Uniteds engine room.
And any Reds move for Lampard would get the thumbs up from Super Sam.
The biggest thing for me is that there is clearly a lot of football left in Frank, Mcllroy told M.E.N. Sport.
Hes still a box-to-box midfielder at 34 years of age and that hasnt diminished. His goal figures from that position are extraordinar! y.
I think it is unbelievable that Chelsea want to let him go. Hes still got a good two years left in him at least. He seems to look after himself like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes have done at United and look how they are still doing.
Chelsea are going to find it very difficult to replace that kind of a player but if thats the way they want it then United could get themselves a great asset.
Youd get a return from Lampard in terms of goals and you cannot beat the experience he would bring. I would certainly go for him.
Frank could replicate what van Persie has done. It is unbelievable what Robin has produced and Lampard is capable of having the same impact. That to me would be a dream come true.
I think the key to all this, however, is what plans Paul Scholes has got at the end of the season. If Scholesy is thinking about retiring again then I think that might swing the decision for Sir Alex. I think whatever Paul decides might just make up the managers mind.
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Chelseas decision to discard Lampard in the summer is allegedly based on owner Roman Abramovichs desire to revitalise the Pensioners by getting rid of their so-called OAPs.
When 29-year-old Van Persie moved from Arsenal last August it broke the Fergie mould, after the Reds boss had largely invested in younger talent in previous seasons.
And it opened up the prospect of more big-name imports arriving to provide ready-made quality.
But it begs the question as to the! impact on Uniteds younger players.
RVPs impact has, to some extent, pushed Mancunian Academy product Danny Welbecks nose out as a central striker, leading to speculation this week that Reading have made an audacious bid to take him on loan at the Madejski Stadium for the rest of the term.
But Mcllroy, who himself came through the United ranks in the early 70s to establish himself as a senior, doesnt believe it would upset the Old Trafford applecart.
It is a big decision for the manager to make in that respect, he added. He thinks a lot of Tom Cleverley and he and Michael Carrick appear to be the first-choice central pair at the
moment. Anderson has had fitness issues and Darren Fletcher is still finding his way back after his illness.
Shinji Kagawa had an impressive start to his United career after coming from Borussia Dortmund last summer but has suffered an injury and hes only just finding his feet again.
That was a setback for him and he needs more time to feel his way in the Premier League. But he is a talent.
All these young players like Kagawa and Cleverley would learn so much from Frank Lampard in the same way that I am sure Welbeck is learning from van Persie.
Whatever they pick up from them will be good for their careers and good for United in the future. Lampard might only come for a year or two but what they could learn from him in the meantime would be invaluable.
United have so many matches to go at and the manager rotates his team to deal with that so that very few can complain about their game time. I dont think Frank Lampard coming to United would be detrimental to any of the current midfielders.
That is the view of former Old Trafford engine-room star Sammy Mcllroy as speculation grows that the Chelsea legend could be heading to Manchester as a free agent in the summer.
Lampard will be 35 in June and his Stamford Bridge contract ends that month.
He has been told by the Chelsea hierarchy that he wont be offered a new deal and Reds boss Sir Alex Fergusons ears are understood to have pricked up at the news.
He was similarly alerted last summer when he learnt RVP wouldnt sign a new deal at Arsenal and immediately put the wheels in motion for an audacious swoop.
The Dutch striker has been a phenomenal success so far, providing a 20-goal return on Uniteds 24m investment.
Lampard would cost nothing at the end of the season and doesnt want to leave the Bridge until his deal expires, ruling out a transfer window exit this month.
Chelsea would want a fee for a January departure but a free transfer in the summer is said to appeal to Fergie.
Lampard has been at Chelsea since 2001 and is currently the clubs second all time top-scorer alongside Kerry Dixon on 193 goals.
He is almost certain to depart as their number one hitman and, from a midfield position, thats a mouth-watering potential addition to Uniteds engine room.
And any Reds move for Lampard would get the thumbs up from Super Sam.
The biggest thing for me is that there is clearly a lot of football left in Frank, Mcllroy told M.E.N. Sport.
Hes still a box-to-box midfielder at 34 years of age and that hasnt diminished. His goal figures from that position are extraordinar! y.
I think it is unbelievable that Chelsea want to let him go. Hes still got a good two years left in him at least. He seems to look after himself like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes have done at United and look how they are still doing.
Chelsea are going to find it very difficult to replace that kind of a player but if thats the way they want it then United could get themselves a great asset.
Youd get a return from Lampard in terms of goals and you cannot beat the experience he would bring. I would certainly go for him.
Frank could replicate what van Persie has done. It is unbelievable what Robin has produced and Lampard is capable of having the same impact. That to me would be a dream come true.
I think the key to all this, however, is what plans Paul Scholes has got at the end of the season. If Scholesy is thinking about retiring again then I think that might swing the decision for Sir Alex. I think whatever Paul decides might just make up the managers mind.
Paul Scholes: Liverpool still our big rivals
Who will be Manchester United's wing commander?
Chelseas decision to discard Lampard in the summer is allegedly based on owner Roman Abramovichs desire to revitalise the Pensioners by getting rid of their so-called OAPs.
When 29-year-old Van Persie moved from Arsenal last August it broke the Fergie mould, after the Reds boss had largely invested in younger talent in previous seasons.
And it opened up the prospect of more big-name imports arriving to provide ready-made quality.
But it begs the question as to the! impact on Uniteds younger players.
RVPs impact has, to some extent, pushed Mancunian Academy product Danny Welbecks nose out as a central striker, leading to speculation this week that Reading have made an audacious bid to take him on loan at the Madejski Stadium for the rest of the term.
But Mcllroy, who himself came through the United ranks in the early 70s to establish himself as a senior, doesnt believe it would upset the Old Trafford applecart.
It is a big decision for the manager to make in that respect, he added. He thinks a lot of Tom Cleverley and he and Michael Carrick appear to be the first-choice central pair at the
moment. Anderson has had fitness issues and Darren Fletcher is still finding his way back after his illness.
Shinji Kagawa had an impressive start to his United career after coming from Borussia Dortmund last summer but has suffered an injury and hes only just finding his feet again.
That was a setback for him and he needs more time to feel his way in the Premier League. But he is a talent.
All these young players like Kagawa and Cleverley would learn so much from Frank Lampard in the same way that I am sure Welbeck is learning from van Persie.
Whatever they pick up from them will be good for their careers and good for United in the future. Lampard might only come for a year or two but what they could learn from him in the meantime would be invaluable.
United have so many matches to go at and the manager rotates his team to deal with that so that very few can complain about their game time. I dont think Frank Lampard coming to United would be detrimental to any of the current midfielders.
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