Top clubs to set wage ceiling

Peter Kenyon and David Gill, chief executives of English clubs Chelsea and Manchester United, are expected to deny Frank Lampard's and Cristiano Ronaldo's requests for huge pay increases, which have risen to over GBP 100,000 a week in some cases.

Lampard was voted the world's second-best player last year and Ronaldo is "currently the best player in the world," according to Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United.

"There has been no formal discussion between clubs about this, but when speaking generally with other executives I sense there is certainly a feeling of no more on player wages, otherwise where will they stop?" said a senior executive at one the Premier League's big four clubs to the Observer Sport.

"In negotiations, we now have an element where player representatives point to the new TV deal as if it is more money for the pot to pay player wages. That is not going to happen."

"There is currently a big fight going on between Ronaldo and United," said a senior source at Old Trafford. "He wants around GBP120,000 a week, but the club will not go above GBP100,000. He will stay, but there is a lot of trouble ahead."

Ronaldo, a winger from Portugal, is thought to be making GBP 60,000 a week in a contract that ends in 2010.

Lampard's demands will probably not be met.

"He has no chance of getting what he wants," an insider claimed. "He will not be offered more than GBP100,000. That's final. He will have to take what Chelsea offer, end of story."

That statement indicates Roman Abramovich's new stance regarding Chelsea's finances.

After approving wages of GBP 130,000 a week for the summer signings of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack, Abramovich refused to pay inflated prices during the January transfer window and since negotiations with John Terry stalled, he is taking a hard line over players' salaries. v Lampard signed a five-year deal in 2004, but under European Union employment law, he can buy out his contract in May.

Steve Kutner, Lampard's agent, said the Chelsea insider's statements were absurd.

"We haven't been made an offer yet," said Kutner. "But GBP 100,000 is absolutely ridiculous because Frank is on way more than that already.

"I've had discussions with Peter [Kenyon] and we know where we want to go. Chelsea want Frank to stay for the next five years and so do we. I certainly haven't given the club any parameters. We are waiting."

Lampard, 28, is thought to earn closer to GBP 80,000 a week rather than the GBP100,000-plus claimed by Kutner, and it is unlikely that he or Ronaldo will be able to draw higher wages in Europe.

Spanish Barcelona has never been an extravagant payer and Spanish Real Madrid's spending days are over. Those are the only two clubs that could possibly top the wages paid in England.

There has been speculation that Lampard will go to Barcelona in the summer because his wife is from that region and the club has expressed an interest in him.

A Barcelona executive confirmed to Observer Sport that it would not target the midfielder.

"The club is not interested in Lampard. No way," he said.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.