Makelele, Lampard consider Chelsea exit over contract stand-off

LONDON - CLAUDE Makelele is close to quitting Chelsea at the end of the season.

The 34-year-old midfielder's deal with the club expires in the summer of 2008, and he wants an extra two years.

But, to his surprise, Chelsea want to offer only 12 more months.

According to The Independent, the France international is willing to listen to other offers.

There will be plenty of suitors around Europe and England for the player.

He has so defined his position in the Chelsea team that it has become known as the 'Makelele role'.

One of the supposed untouchables in the side, he was substituted at half-time in Chelsea's last two big games.

In the League Cup final, he made way for the pace and influence of Arjen Robben.

Against Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday, he was removed for John Obi Mikel.

The youngster was far more effective as Chelsea went on to win 2-1.

Mikel is considered a long-term replacement for Makelele.

Chelsea will point out to Makelele that they are offering him a deal that will take him beyond his 36th birthday in February 2009.

However, the player is said to believe that he deserves a greater reward.

He has played a stellar role for the club since he joined them from Real Madrid for £16.6 million (S$49 million) in the summer of 2003, soon after Roman Abramovich's takeover.

Makelele is also a headstrong character.

He was in dispute with Real before his departure, as he believed that he was under-paid.

He also had a similar falling out with a previous club, Celta Vigo.

The future of Frank Lampard, for long linked with Barcelona, was also shrouded in uncertainty on Wednesday.

He claimed he had not been offered a new contract by Chelsea, reported The Guardian.

He signed a five-year deal with the club in May 2004. But Fifa's law enables players to terminate a contract with 15 days' notice, provided they have served three years of it and signed it when under 28.

He will be eligible to invoke that rule in less than two months' time.

And, with Chelsea seemingly preoccupied by the precarious nature of Jose Mourinho's tenure as manager, the 28-year-old may be forced to take matters into his own hands.