Man U keen to sign up Lampard

Frank Lampard could be in the colours of Manchester United next season, according to reports in two London newspapers yesterday.

The Sun and the Daily Telegraph reported that Man United boss Alex Ferguson was poised to make the surprise signing in June when Lampard becomes a free agent.

Chelsea have told Lampard's agent that the England midfielder will not be offered a new contract at the end of the current season.

"Chelsea executives told Frank in Japan during the Club World Cup, then again reconfirmed with me after the Everton victory that under no circumstances will he be offered a new contract at the club," Lampard's agent, Steve Kutner, told the Daily Mirror.

Lampard, 34, scored both goals against Everton in a 2-1 English Premier League win at the end of December and Chelsea fans have chanted "Sign him up" throughout recent matches.

He became Chelsea's joint second-highest goal-scorer of all time on Saturday when he converted a penalty in a 5-1 FA Cup third-round victory at Southampton.

The goal put him on 193 career goals for Chelsea, level with Kerry Dixon and behind Bobby Tambling who scored 202 between 1959 and 1970. Lampard joined Chelsea in 2001 and his contract runs out at the end of the season in June.

Though Chelsea no longer want Lampard, Ferguson is convinced the veteran can still do a job at the highest level.

In 2009 Ferguson said of Lampard: "He is an exceptional player and a huge asset to his team."

It is unlikely a deal will be done this month - when a fee would be involved - while Lampard is also keen to see out the rest of the season at Stamford Bridge.

United are firm favourites to land him in a deal that would have seemed unthinkable at the start of the season.

Ferguson passed up the chance to sign Lampard last year during the transfer window in January. But the move was ruled out by Ferguson because of the costs involved. It would have required a huge fee to Chelsea and also matching Lampard's £150000-a-week wages. By that time, too, Ferguson had persuaded Paul Scholes to come out of retirement.

Now, Ferguson would be very interested in replacing Scholes, who at 38 is unlikely to have a future with United beyond this season.

Ferguson is also planning a £16-million off-season bid for Borussia Dortmund forward Robert Lewandowski.