Exclusive - Chelsea need Frank Lampard and must hand him new contract, says Frank Leboeuf

Frank Leboeuf says Chelsea should keep hold of Frank Lampard – as there’s no better player at Stamford Bridge than the veteran midfielder.

The 34-year-old’s contract expires in the summer and he has yet to be offered a new deal, despite his recent fine form.

And Leboeuf has told Roman Abramovich he will be making a big mistake if he allows the England international to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

The former Blues star, speaking on the Sports Breakfast, said, "If you don’t find somebody better than him in his position, why do you want to get rid of him?

"The games I have seen of Frank playing, I don’t see a better player right now at Chelsea. So why do you want to get rid of him? They need him right now.

"If you have young players as good or better than Frank Lampard, then yeah you should replace him. But if there is nobody better than him, you have to keep him. It's as simple as that.

"He won't play every game but he will be very useful. He's a leader in the dressing room, he scores goals, he is a leader on the field. I'm certain that he is going to be useful and Chelsea need him."