Manchester City midfielder Frank Lampard would still be a Chelsea player if they had offered him a contract.
Lampard returns to Stamford Bridge today for the first time since leaving Chelsea over the summer.
"It was not about money, if he had been offered any sort of contract to stay and finish his career at Chelsea he would still be there," a source close to the former England skipper told the Daily Star.
"One of the reasons why Frank signed for Manchester City, knowing he could then play against Chelsea in the Premier League, was they effectively gave him permission to do so, by not offering him anything.
"They were saying, 'we don't want you, you can do what you like'.
"In fairness, Frank can see that with their points tally and the way they have been playing, with the signings of Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas, the decision was justified.
"Like at The Etihad, Frank will not celebrate if he scores, but the way he feels is he is just going there to do his job."
