Lampard denies knowledge of 'standout' Fernandez contract renewal

Faruq Ibrahim 17:21 - 14 April 2023

Lampard denies having knowledge of Enzo Fernandes' contract renewal

Lampard and Enzo Fernadez

Argentine World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez was reported to have agreed a contract extension with Chelsea, however, interim boss Frank Lampard claims to be unaware.

Chelsea interim boss Frank Lampard denies knowledge of the reported contract extension for Enzo Fernandez.

The 21-year-old only recently joined Chelsea in the January transfer window on an eight-and-a-half-year deal.

Lately, he was reported to have further extended the length of his initial deal; however, Lampard claims not to be aware of such a development.

What Lampard said

Lampard was speaking today in the pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's clash against Brighton on Saturday when he was questioned about the contract situation of the Argentine World Cup winner.

Frank Lampard has returned to Stamford Bridge, two years after his sacking at the club | Photo Credit: Courtesy

Frank Lampard and Marc Cucurella of Chelsea at Santiago Bernabeu.

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The interim boss denied being privy to any such information, claiming it was not included in his job description.

He explained that he is occupied with the work on the pitch, and has not been involved in administration before going on to praise the quality of Fernandez, saying he is the right profile for the club.

"I can't confirm that because... I don't know," Lampard replied to the question on Fernandez's contract extension.

Chelsea signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British-record fee.

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"Sorry, I actually have enough on my plate to dissect everyone's contract at the club."

"The only thing I'd say is from working with Enzo, he has been a standout character and player for me this last week in terms of attitude and quality. So I think even though he's only been here a short time, I think he is a fantastic player for this club going forward and exactly the type of profile, type of player we are talking about, but of course, he needs to be given time to settle in as well."

🗣️ "I can't confirm that because I don't know." ❌📝

Frank Lampard in unable to verify reports that Enzo Fernández has extended his contract at Chelsea pic.twitter.com/vGYvreGQeR
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 14, 2023

Lampard on Chelsea’s latest loss

Meanwhile, The Stamford Bridge club have now failed to score in four consecutive games for the first time in 30 years, and Lampard admitted there is little self-confidence within the squad at the moment.

"There's a little bit of a lack of belief. I think the players have got to understand how good they are, and what they can do, and maybe we're a bit short on that at the minute, and it's not easy to come here like that."

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Despite the disappointing result, Lampard remained positive and called for continued support from the Chelsea fans as the club aim to turn the tie around in the second leg.

The Blues will now turn their attention to Brighton in the Premier League as they try to climb up the table and potentially finish in European places with a strong enough finish.