Frank Lampard will wait until after the World Cup before confirming he has agreed a deal to join New York City.
As first revealed by Standard Sport on Friday, Lampard has been made a lucrative offer, along with Atletico Madrid striker David Villa, to join the new MLS franchise for next season.
The contract is worth significantly more than the offer Chelsea made for him to stay on for a 14th season, with a series of bonuses taking it close to his current £150,000-a-week salary.
With the campaign in the States not kicking off until next March, the England midfielder, who turns 36 later this month, will also be looking for a short-term deal to maintain match fitness.
While unlikely at this point, that opportunity could still come at Stamford Bridge. He is the club’s all-time leading scorer with 211 goals and manager Jose Mourinho wanted him to stay in the first place.
Manchester City who, along with New York Yankees baseball team purchased the New York City MLS team’s expansion rights, have also been linked with a move for Lampard but the chances of a switch to the Etihad Stadium are remote.
Lampard arrived in Miami with the rest of the England squad today for their final two World Cup warm-up friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras.
Their opening game in Brazil is against Italy on June 14.
Meanwhile, one of the areas Chelsea are looking to invest some of the money they will raise from outgoings is at centre-back having already agreed the £48m transfer of David Luiz to Paris St Germain.
Real Madrid and France defender Raphael Varane is Mourinho’s first choice, despite the tough task of prising him away from the Bernabeu, where he just won the Champions League. Mourinho gave Varane the chance to break through to the first team while in charge of the Spanish giants and has hailed him as the best defender in the world.
The 21-year-old has not dismissed the idea of moving to west London and said: “An interest in Chelsea? There is a World Cup to prepare for, so this is not the time to discuss these types of questions.”
