Jose Mourinho has warned captain John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole they could face nervous waits over their Chelsea futures.
Left-back Cole appeared to be in tears as he, Terry and Lampard broke off from the rest of the Chelsea squad to applaud the home fans after Sunday’s goalless draw against Norwich.
Terry, Lampard and Cole are all out of contract at the end of the season, and are yet to sign new deals. The Norwich clash was Chelsea’s final home game of the campaign and could prove to be a Stamford Bridge send-off for the trio who have 1,609 Chelsea appearances between them.
Terry is in negotiations over a new contract, while Chelsea contacted the Cole camp last week to try to start talks and Lampard’s future remains unresolved.
Asked whether he expects Terry, Lampard and Cole to play for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next season, Mourinho said: “Again, they are talking to the club on their future. I think so. I think so. But now it’s time to wait a little bit. The summer is a long summer for us. For the players at the World Cup it’s a different story. But for us, as a club, it’s a long time to be calm, to sit and discuss and analyse our options, the market and possibilities. A long time.”
Written by Steve Milne
