Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini claims that on-loan Frank Lampard is very important to the English champions.
“Frank is very important for our team so I hope he will stay,” BBC quoted Pellegrini.
The 36-year-old midfielder is expected to re-join New York City FC as Major League Soccer (MLS) club will start their pre-season practice training in January. Pellegrini signed the former Chelsea player from the sister-club in August.
New York City FC will join MLS as the twentieth franchise in the 2015 season, which starts in March.
Lampard has so far played a pivotal role in City’s campaign scoring six goals in his 15 appearances. And rightly, the manager wants the midfielder to stay longer with the club. Besides, City’s midfield will need proper handling with their mainstay Yaya Toure leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
Pellegrini is confident that a solution will soon be found, in their favour as New York City is part of their overall set-up, City Football Group.
“I hope Frank’s situation will be resolved in the next days. I said in the beginning it will be during December we are going to have the last decision,” he added.
Lampard, a Chelsea legend in his own rights, is a three-time Player of the Year for the Blues and is also club’s all-time top goalscorer with 211 goals in all competitions. However, he was allowed to leave the club as a free agent in July after 13 years of association.
