Frank Lampard: Manchester City will pay all of midfielder's wages
- Published
Frank Lampard signed a six-month loan deal with Manchester City from New York City
Manchester City will pay all of Frank Lampard's wages during his loan spell with the club, amid suggestions they are using the deal to bypass Uefa's Financial Fair Play regulations.
Lampard, 36, signed on a free for New York City last month - who are part-owned by Manchester City - and with the MLS season not starting until March he will spend the next six months at City.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger questioned whether the move was designed to "get round" FFP rules - which Manchester City failed to meet last season.
"Is it a way to get around the fair play? I don't know," said Wenger.
"It looks like all of these 'City' clubs will feed the main club Manchester City - I heard they want to buy five clubs all over the world.
"I don't know the rules well enough, but they bought a franchise for £59.4m to play in the States next season."
Blues around the world - Manchester City's affiliated clubs | |
|---|---|
New York City | from 2013 (partnership with New York Yankees) |
Melbourne City | from 2014 (partnership with rugby league team Melbourne Storm) |
Yokohama F Marinos | from 2014 (partnership with car maker Nissan) |
Lampard left Chelsea in the summer after his contract expired and it is understood City will pay his entire salary while he is with them and New York City will take responsibility thereafter.
The midfielder will become one of the minimum five homegrown players City need in their 21-man Champions League squad to comply with FFP.
City feel they have no need to dodge FFP because they are now breaking even and on course to comply with the regulations going forward.
The club's failure to comply with FFP last season resulted in a fine and restrictions on their wage bill and squad size.
They have been restricted to a 21-man Champions League squad this year - with eight home-grown players required in their Premier League squad.
"At the moment the players they sign cannot play until next year so they will register them in the other clubs and can get out on loan," added Wenger, who ruled out Arsenal employing similar methods in the future.
"We are happy to dedicate the money to just run our club - there is not a lot of surplus to run other clubs, " he said.
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