Everton to tempt Chelsea icon?

I would like to see him here though – even if just for a season.

Failing that I think he'd stay in London.

What better signal to give that we are a senior team, and, nicely symbolic, strippling Barkley has just come back to watch the older guys play on the pitch.

His wage demands and the fact we won't be playing CL football are the two main reasons I can think of. If he does go to a non-CL team, it will be to one who is willing to pay him huge wages (LA Galaxy).

There aren't many (if any) players nowadays who are prepared to take huge wage cuts in order to just play and I don't see him being any different. Hope to be proved wrong though, I think he would be great for us.

He is playing some of the best football of his career at the moment in a relatively poor Chelsea side.

He'd easily light up Goodison for three years if signed.

I can't see it happening though.

As the report says, this is only a possibility if he lowers his wage demands to fit in with our system. I think he'd consider that. He strikes me as an intelligent but down to earth guy who, first and foremost, absolutely loves to play football. He's got to be loaded already, and I read only the other day that he's written a series of kids books that are going to be published over the next few years, so that will provide an income stream beyond his retirement.

He'd prefer to play for a London team competing in Europe, I've no doubt, but he may not get the choice. As I said, it's a question of which of the top seven teams would offer him two years or more. I can't see him fitting in at Arsenal or Lpool. So that leaves Spurs, Man U... or us.

Michael K - I see you've cut and pasted the first few posts here from another thread. A good idea, although it does make me look like a bit of a divvy, with the press report followed by me saying "Oh, have you heard..."

Guy (10) - I hereby award you "Simile of the Month"! Stuart Barlow will be coming round to yours next Thursday to present the prize.

Fulham Broadway to Earl's Court, change to the circle line up to Notting Hill Gate and changing to the central line to Shepard's Bush is too much of a hassle.

He could take a helicopter of course but they don't do too well in the fog.

In your case, I added one word, "So..." at the start and left in the first sentence as it underlines the "paper talk" aspect of this thread. I thought that would neutralize the divvy feeling... but if it's still there, we'll have to come up with a better solution.

Hmmm... what about a big picture of Kev with arrow and "Star Contributor" in flashing blue lights?

Alternatively, you could leave as it. I am a bit of a divvy anyway!

Nick - or he could get the District line from Fulham Broadway to Embankment, walk a couple of minutes up to Charing Cross and get the Northern Line to Euston... where his train to Lime Street awaits. Obviously, if he wants to travel around Christmas time then he's going to have to go from London to Liverpool via Penzance, Coventry and Aberdeen. Bloody Virgin trains!

By the way, when I said earlier I couldn't see him fitting in at Arsenal or Lpool, I meant to add Man City. Unless Mourinho goes there at the end of the season, which he may do.

Phil - what is your problem? The only thing he has in common with Neville is that he's an experienced pro - otherwise, it's chalk and cheese. Lampard has the highest IQ of any PL footballer, I read somewhere. Neville, bless him, might just have the lowest.

Female fans would love it ....

Kev, you mention things being as different as chalk and cheese. You clearly never tried Kwiksave Cheddar.

Even if he didn't break the pay structure he would still be a top earner and a three year deal is too much unless we would hope to sell him on after squeezing something out of him for a season or two.

a) because he is desperate to stay there and the writing is on the wall from Abramovich
b) in a team surrounded by young talented players
c) the final flourish in a fading career

We'd be getting a de-motivated ( except by money as has always been the case with him ), rapidly fading player losing his legs and surrounded by Neville, Pienaar, Distin, Jags, Howard etc, all the wrong side of 30.

Bad move. Shades of Ginola in my book. DON'T DO IT!

Karl: what are you on about - "recent run of good form"? He's been on good form for about 15 years!

Anyway, he'll probably stay at Chelsea, or go to Man Utd. But if he doesn't, I for one would love to have him at Goodison.

Firstly, and it’s already been pointed out, he’s a London boy, secondly the fact that his bird (erm sorry fiancée) Christine Bleakley lives and works in London, so pick any London club (including Chelsea) for Lampard’s next home.

There's nothing idiotic about it, Alexander (118). There may be a germ of truth in it, I don't know – and neither do you. Who knows, maybe Lampard's agent is behind the story, just wanting to "put it out there" and see what the response is. That's sometimes how it works nowadays.

The line between fact and fiction, between news and entertainment is getting thinner and thinner – it's not as simple as "True or false?" It can be both or neither. I wish people would wise up about this and stop making themselves appear superior by slagging off journalists, without showing any understanding whatsoever of how the media industry works.

Oh yeah, and Barkely should go back to Sheff Wed!

As Tim did previously, Frank would probably score enough goals to retain our place in the PL. Davy, BK, our shadowy or should that be shady board plus the IMWT brigade will be happy and contented. I long for a new messiah but at my age I can't wait too long.

Should we be thankful for any old player's that are not wanted by their own club? We have enough old men in this team now. I hear debates about players' form, like Howard, Heitinga, Neville, Hibbert and Distin... some of them are not out of form — they are finished. Them and Osman will be selected until they can't stand up and what is left of the once good young prospects will be thrown in at the deep end.

You can have Kenwright and Moyes with a guarantee of mediocrity or clear the whole lot out and gamble on success or failure. I would take a chance.

The fact is Dick, Moyes signed Cahill and Arteta and Pienaar and a lot of other good players for buttons.

You say none have come close to filling Tim's boots... How many goals has Fellaini got? Fellaini is about the same age as Cahill when we signed him so has the potential to score more than Cahill.

Why would you gamble when the odds are stacked so heavily against you?

My favourite was the 1996 Roberto Baggio is flying in for talks story. I literally through my credit card at the woman behind the box office window.

The thing is, of all the top clubs in England, I think Man Utd would be the only club that is both able and willing to take him. Much like when SAF got Owen in, he seems willing to give a job to an older player with a view of using him as a squadie.

Arsene would never buy someone that old, Spurs just aren't at that point, Man City - probably not either. Moyes would never sign him, using his age against him, whilst hypocritically playing half a squad that is not much younger if not older.

Also he's a southern fairy through and through, no way he'd leave London. Dream on.