Extending Conte’s deal will be Chelsea’s biggest summer signing- Lampard

Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is of
the opinion that tying down Antonio Conte at the
club with a new deal will be the club’s biggest
summer signing.
Although the Italian has signalled his eagerness
to stay next season, the club is yet to extend
his current deal which expires in 2019.
‘Antonio would be their most important signing
– for me he was their man of the season,’
Lampard said.
‘You talk about player of the year, I’m all for
giving the players credit but because it was
such a dramatic uplift from the year before I
think you have to give him huge credit.
‘You saw the system change and how he made
them play in that formation, it worked well.
‘I think he’s a huge signing for them. I have no
doubts, I don’t know but I’m pretty confident
he’ll be there and they’ll bring in players to play
in the system he wants to play.’
Romelu Lukaku is reportedly set to fill in Diego
Costa’s stead after Conte made it clear to the
Spanish international that he is no longer in his
plans.
Lukaku joined Chelsea in 2011 as an 18-year-
old but was given limited chances in the first
team and eventually moved to Merseyside three
years later.
‘Chelsea bought that player as a youngster and
maybe it was too early or whether he didn’t get
the chances I don’t know,’ Lampard said.
‘But I love his attitude, the way he plays and
very determined. I remember training with him
and he was always practising and he wanted to
score goals. I respect lads like that.
‘He deserves the best and if Costa does move
on and they want to get something like for like
in the style of a big front man who score goals
then Lukaku has proved he can do that.’