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Report: Lampard completes move to New York City FC

Chelsea's Frank Lampard

By IVES GALARCEP

New York City FC have scheduled a press conference for Thursday at 10:30 a.m. to announce their latest “major player signing” and all signs point to that new signing being English star Frank Lampard.

Goal USA is reporting the Lampard to NYC FC deal as completed, with the long-time Chelsea sensation set to make close to $8 million a season, as he joins David Villa on the expansion team’s squad, which begins play in MLS in 2015.

The Goal USA report also speculated that Lampard could join Villa in taking part in a short loan with Australian club Melbourne City later this year to retain his fitness heading into the 2015 MLS season.

What do you think of this development? See NYC FC enjoying success in year one? Think $8 million is too much for the 36-year-old midfielder?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. What was Hristo Stoichkov making when he came to MLS at 35-6? $350k?

    I’d still probably rather have him in the league – leg breakings and all – than this guy for $8mil.

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  2. Will never give New York soccer club the time time of day if day if they sign this scum ball. Stupid is as. They must be stupid stupid stupid

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  3. well, he was making just about $13.5M a season at Chelsea, so it’s at least a pay cut. $8M still seems like too much though.

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  4. I’m quite disappointed by this, if unsurprised. Yankee Stadium is extremely convenient for me to get to, so I was contemplating supporting NYCFC. However, from both a football and non-football perspective, this Lampard signing could not be more off-putting: his 9/11 antics were reprehensible and I have zero interest in watching a team whose star midfielder is a washed up 36 year old playing for one last pay day. The league and the team might not possess much self-respect but I do and I’m happy to waste my time and money elsewhere.

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  5. This is a big fuk you to the people of New York and it makes it hard to support a league that cares more about selling jerseys than respecting the dead.

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  6. $8M could buy you a number of fairly high-profile DPs…and yet NYCFC decides in their infinite wisdom that the best idea is to go out and get a 36 year old who’s best known in New York for getting trashed and mocking Americans on 9-11?

    Who ever thought that would be a good idea? Is there, like, literally no one else they could think of? Was John Terry not available? I mean why sign some young up-and-coming South American player who will actually improve your team when you can sign a totally unlikeable washed-up-has-been instead.

    At least now I know which team in MLS to hate.

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  7. Considering how large the Chelsea FC supporters group is in NYC, this may not be as dumb a deal as you think. They need to get butts in seats while competing against two already established teams for the metro.

    I’m not saying I’d have made the same choice,but I can see some arguments for it,

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    • Stupid comment. since 8 million is 5 million over the cap, so it couldnt really be “well rounded”. Not to mention it isnt the league that is paying him, it is the owners. I think it is a joke that La Liga’s Barcelona and Madrid spend TAXPAYER money to buy players at ludicrous prices, but i guess we have differing opinions on what is a joke

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  8. watching NYCFC will be like watching Ronaldo and friends testimonial type of game. A retirement league for sure and a good last paycheck

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  9. this is what happens when you have a f***ing salary cap and this ludicrous DP wage structure. You overpay for has been stars.

    MLS is the dumbest soccer league on the planet.

    That $8million if put into youth development would be a lot better than spending it on a 36 yr old . ughhh

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    • Think before you speak. That’s Man City’s money not MLS. If they want to throw around dumb amounts of money then let them do it. It’s better to have them be able to spend dumb amounts of money then have another Chivas.

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      • This is not quite correct. The league owns all the contracts and pays every player. NYCFC does not pay more if the pay someone a boatload of cash. The burden is split across all the teams.

      • Not in the case of DPs. The league only pays the portion that is charged to the salary cap, which is $335k. The rest is paid by the owners.

  10. MYCFC Versus Orlando City DP’s:

    Lampard: 36- Talented EPL player who is a bit overrated, and has never delivered on the world stage.
    Villa: 33- WC winner. Spain’s all-time leading goal scorer.

    Orlando:
    KaKa: 32- Former World player of the year. And a player that should have been on Brasil’s WC team this past summer.
    Robinho: 30- Talented player that never really lived up to his hype.

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    • Orlando doing better so far. At least Robinho is youngish and underwhelming.

      Kaka hasn’t played much in the last 4 years either. 30 games a year isn’t much compared to the 60 or so the Barcelona guys seem to be doing.

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  11. Meh. If they want to pay that money for a washed up player then so be it.

    He won’t be an elite CM in this league.

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  12. $8 million a year for a guy that doesn’t even play for the English Nat team, which stinks, anymore ?

    Wow, sign me up….please.

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    • Not advocating anything here but he played for them against Costa Rica…looked better than what they started with in the Cup…

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      • I guess I was assuming that he retired from Intl play because he figure he wouldn’t figure.
        $8 million, insane.

    • Here’s to hoping he gets good advice and doesn’t!

      Wouldn’t it be great to bring in some big names that aren’t 30 yet?!?!?!?!

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  13. Always cracks me up to see others complaining about how rich people spend their money. Once Lampard’s a DP, it doesn’t matter if NYCFC is paying $500,000 or $500 million. These are rich men writing a big check. Doesn’t matter if he’s “worth” $8 million. He just has to be worth a DP slot, and he is. So move along and let the men write their checks.

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    • Gullible Americans? last I looked those Oil Sheiks own NYCFC. Meaning those Oil sheiks pay that absurd Lampard salary. I am laughing my azz off at those gullible oil sheiks.

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      • On top of a country with only 1 natural resource….
        It’s nice for a while… Qatar is “wasting” money like this now just to accrue enough assets so when the oil runs out they own things of value.

        They seem to like the media industry over there. Al Jazeera is Qatari too.

        I’m not saying it will work but its a heck of a lot smarter than whatever the Saudis are doing.

  14. This is great for RBNY because it will focus the media on the Mankees and their crazy economics. It also doesn’t hurt that the papers are sure to dig out the 9/11 mess. There’s no way Lampard’s on-field production will warrant $8M, and I really don’t think he’s popular enough to generate massive jersey sales like Henry, Beckham, et al.

    Now the real work starts for Reyna and company — filling out an actual roster within the salary cap.

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  15. Of all the players of all the leagues around the world this is the guy you should never bring to MLS this is a big f$&@ you to the people in NY.
    MLS goin from retirement league to retirement league with self respect.

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  16. IF the money involved is true, it sure seems like a monumental overpay. A 36 year old baseball player, maybe. But a 36 year old in a sport that requires running, in a league that has really long travel and humid climates for several teams? Crazy. I’d have given him $2 million per for two years, and that might be overreaching. It might draw some (a lot?) of Chelsea fans out of the NYC woodwork, but when he’s gone, those fans will likely leave with him. I wish a team like this would overpay for someone in their early 20’s who has shown great potential. Not their business model, I guess…

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  17. MLS is a perfect reflection of where we are as country today. The 1% makes all the cash. The rest work their tails off to make them even richer.

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  18. Why cant NYCFC just got a DP loan? Like say get loaned some of the 2nd string players at City?

    like that Serbian guy from Fiorentina who never plays. Or their youth squad. thats more worthy of 8 milliom than LAmpard. Id have given him 4 million and a percentage of jersay sales. Or 8 milliom if he could persuade Rooney to join the league by 2016

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  19. Let’s see how he will be received by the city and people that he mocked on 9/11. What a move by the oil people. They should bring John Terry too.

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  20. IMO, this is one of the worst signings in MLS history from a league reputation standpoint. Compare Lampard’s age as of his announcement to join MLS to other big name signings:

    Lampard: 36
    Beckham: 31
    Henry: 32
    Keane: 31
    Dempsey: 30
    Bradley: 26
    Kaka: 32
    Villa: 33
    Defoe: 31

    Age isn’t everything, and Lampard probably still has a bit left in the tank. But MLS’ biggest problem, in terms of international perception, is that its a place to lay on the beach and collect a big paycheck after your career is pretty much over. This is a huge step in the wrong direction.

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    • Excellent data. He’s just too old. He’ll probably be able to hack it for a year, and he’ll be good on free kicks, but he’s basically at a point where he could have retired from Chelsea, but opted for a big payday. No-brainer for him, and probably profitable for NYCFC, but egg on the face of MLS.

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  21. I have always had a hard time wrapping my head around how this guy drunkenly mocked grieving American tourists in England on September 11.

    Sure it was a while ago and he was a kid.

    Maybe I am more sensitive because I watched the Twin Towers fall up close and personal and had the dust on me.

    But it strikes me as an amazing thing to do.

    Remarkable that NYCFC would have someone who did this as a marquee signing.

    Even before we get to wildly over-paying for a 36 year old.

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  22. a lot of people in this post are overrating MLS..frank lampard was still useful in spot duty in the EPL..if he stays healthy he will dominate this league..i mean look no further than bradley wright phillips success..he a league 1 championship level player at best

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    • Your comparison of BWP and Lampard falls short when you think of who BWP is playing next too during each game, TH14. Look at any striker that has played next to TH14 since he came to MLS and they all have put up stellar numbers. Lampard also isn’t a striker so he will be dealing with physical play all game, ofcourse he could compete but I wouldn’t say he will dominate the league. TH14 is better than fat Frank in every way, shape or form and he isn’t lightening up the league like you claim Fat Frank will do.

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      • He is hardly fat, you need your eyes checked. Why don’t you wait until he has a few games under his belt before passing judgement. If he continues to train the way he has consistently done in the EPL; he will be the solo player staying late after every practice session getting extra training in. He my be 36, but he is still a great passer of the ball. You must be a gooner if you rate TH14 as better.

  23. The only reason I think this might be a good deal is because it brings more casual fans to the game. “Hey they got David Villa and now Frank Lampard!? Lets go!” NYCFC is trying to establish themselves and this will help even if the money is huge.

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    • I hear ya, but if someone is a casual fan, they wont know Lampard necessarily. Lampard isnt even the most recognizable English international. The casual would be more enticed if NYCFC signed Pele or Maradona.

      I wonder what the financial models are on jersey sales though. Maybe if they sell enough $90 Lampard #10 NYCFC shirts, this makes business sense.

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    • I think most of the people who know enough about soccer to know who Frank Lampard is also know enough to know that he’s a has-been.

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      • slow, exactly

        Maybe they are piggybacking on the Chelsea brand recognition, as many of Lampard fanboys and girls will likely buy his NYCFC shirt, in spite of the lighter shade of blue and smell of Manchester.

  24. Like the signing, but not the cost. Seriously, I understand NYCFC wanting to pull fans from the metro area, but this is spending WAY too much for someone that age.

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  25. Why? why? terrible move!

    Way too much $. No way he is worth this much. $8M could have brought in so many other players that are not 36 years old entitled english pricks.. Plus all of the news in NY is about he was partying all night and making a scene celebrating 9/11. — I can not think of a worse dp signing for an expansion team

    The only positive thing that I can think of is I can’t wait to Boo him!

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    • I get the economic equivalence of “$8M could have brought in so many other players”, but that’s not really how MLS works.

      NYCFC has more money than they are allowed to spend. They can pay $8M for lampard and still bring in those hypothetical other players.

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  26. Buddy of mine just got a picture with him in Vegas. He sounds like he is pretty pumped for this phase of his career. Hes a legend that hopefully has a bit more gas in him. $8 million is a bit high if it was just a salary but I would guess alot of that is structured like Beckhams contract and is heavy with promotional pay. His base salary is probably closer to $5 million.

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  27. this guy is the biggest piece of shi….wait, he want to fart in our general direction? I love this guy!!! He’s a former wold class player!!! We all make mistakes and he deserves another chance.
    Get some self respect people!

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  28. That’s crazy money. Not sure what I think about it.

    I’m sure all this money is turning heads in Europe. There are probably several premier 30 year olds looking over and thinking.. i wouldn’t mind moving to NYC for that money when my current contract runs out.

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  29. Ugh. Not a good deal. Horrible deal. Almost apocalyptically bad. He’s thirty-freaking-six and been playing 50 games a year since he was 18. No.

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  30. NYCFC is paying a 36 year-old God money. Way to reinforce MLS’s (mostly inaccurate) retirement league stereotype. David Villa was a brilliant signing. Lampard, not so much. Not for that salary.

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    • I think Lampard is pretty much washed up. I doubt he can cope in a league where top teams will see themselves getting fouled 20+ times per game.

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      • Agreed, he might have 1 decent season but the dude not worth that money. Then again… DP contracts are paided out of the clubs cash right? I certainly hope so. Qataries…

      • Also agreed. Whoever his agent is I want him representing me. What’s that? You’re a car washer with a GED? I’ll get you $100k a year…

    • Juninho Sequel. Will be useful of free kicks if he can stay upright. Run of play, not so much. I also think for competitiveness purposes you should be matching young fit players with these older players. Little too old right down the middle.

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    • Moves like this will make the next CBA hell for MLS. The players who helped to build the league won’t stand for this. this gym is 36 years old come on. If he goes out there and doesn’t give 100% can you imagine how the guy that’s making 80k a season will feel?

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    • Its what the current salary is. Deuce, Bradley, Defoe make around the exact same. And it really can’t go hire tell they raise the CBA.

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      • DP salaries have no ceiling. They can be whatever team’s are willing to shell out. And is there anything more American that MASSIVE economic inequality? One NYCFC mid will be earning more in one game than most of his teammates will earn in an entire season.

      • There is a limit on the cap charge for a designated player but the team is responsible for the salary. Half the reason the rule tiers the league is that while everyone can afford the cap, only some teams can afford $8 million on a single player.

        You can use allocation against the cap charge, but then you still have to cut the paycheck.

      • IT’S what . . . Deuce, Bradley, AND Defoe . . . they can’t go HIGHER TILL they raise . . .

        Do better.

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