Someone needs to explain the loan rule to Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini as Pellegrini seems to feel that City and not New York City FC own the rights to midfielder Frank Lampard,
Lampard has been brilliant the last week for City, scoring four goals and Pellegrini says that the interests of Manchester City will come first when a decision is made about Lampard’s future.
City’s sister club New York City FC want Lampard to join them as planned in January for the new MLS season, no matter how well he plays while on loan in the Barclays Premier League club in the meantime.
But City boss Pellegrini underlined that the decision that is made will be motivated by his team’s needs.
‘I can clarify the situation. In this moment he’s a very important player for us.
‘He will stay with us here on loan is until January and we will see what happens in the future and it’s not a problem we have to analyse in this moment.
‘We will see after when the loan has finished what we are going to do.
‘The possibility is to do the best for Manchester City.
‘Frank is a very important player for England and the Premier League. All of you want to continue to see Frank Lampard here.’
The problem for Pellegrini and Man City is that they don’t own Lampard, Major League Soccer does and I am pretty sure that MLS wants his back in time for the start of the new season.
There are those, including Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who feel that by NYC FC signing Lampard, and then loaning him back to their parent club, that City are circumventing UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, something that they are already in trouble with UEFA for doing. Maybe Pellegrini’s comments are a belief on his part that Lamps is ready a Man City player and not a NYC FC player?
Either way, I expect Lampard to be hear stateside when the new MLS season begins next season. But if Man City are in the hunt for the title and Champions League, expect to hear more comments coming from Manchester that Lampard should stay there until the end of the season. And if that is the car, will MLS stand firm and demand Lamps return, or will they cave and let him stay until the end of the English season?
