Chelsea are prepared to allow Frank Lampard to leave if the midfielder continues his hard bargaining position.

The Sunday Mirror says prolonged contract negotiations remain deadlocked and the Blues have prepared a take it or leave it offer.

Chelsea are convinced they must not allow Lampard and his advisers to call the contract shots. It is believed Lampard is aiming to be the highest paid player at the club. A target wage of £150,000 a week would be about £20,000 more than the current top earners such as captain John Terry, Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko.

At the moment Lampard's deal, which has lucrative increments built in, surpasses £115,000 a week.