• Premier League

Lampard and Cole released by Chelsea

ESPN staff
May 23, 2014
Goalkeeper Thibaut Cortois unsure of Chelsea return

Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Samuel Eto'o look set to leave Chelsea this summer following the expiry of their contracts.

The club have yet to comment, but the trio are included on the list of released players submitted to the Premier League.

Although they could yet be retained, the list indicates that offers to extend their deals have not been agreed.

Other big names up for grabs...

  • Manchester City pair Gareth Barry, who spent last season on loan at Everton, and Joleon Lescott, as well as Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner are all now free agents.
  • Elsewhere, Shola Ameobi has ended his 14-year association with Newcastle and Joe Cole leaves West Ham - with whom he spent 10 years over two stints at Upton Park.
  • Crystal Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni has left Selhurst Park after a decade at the club.

Cole, 33, had recently said on Twitter that he expected to leave Stamford Bridge following a season in which he lost his place in the team to Cesar Azpilicueta.

Eto'o, too, had appeared certain to move on after just one year in west London, with the Cameroon international criticising coach Jose Mourinho following remarks he made earlier in the campaign about his age.

However, Lampard, 35, was thought likely to sign an extension along with club captain John Terry, who finally committed to a new deal earlier this month.

Also departing the club are back-up goalkeepers Mark Schwarzer, who deputised for Petr Cech at the end of the season, and Hilario, who had been with the Blues since 2006.

Milan Lalkovic and Sam Hutchinson are among the others to exit. Hutchinson had come through the youth ranks at the club before being forced into retirement in 2010 only to re-sign in 2011 after an improvement in his knee injury.

Meanwhile, striker Demba Ba has revealed that Mourinho convinced him to stay at Chelsea.

Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole made a combined 988 appearances for Chelsea © Getty Images
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