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Chelsea caretaker boss Lampard hints Azpilicueta (& more) could be leaving

Chelsea caretaker boss Frank Lampard admits Cesar Azpilicueta could be on the move this summer.

The captain featured in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Newcastle for their final game of the season.

Lampard said, "They (the fans) were amazing and also for Azpi. We don't know what is happening to Azpi yet but the respect for him and what he's for this club was very evident today. From my point of view, I think Chelsea fans, particularly the match-going fans see the situation I came into.

"It hasn't been easy to turn it in a short time, that's the reality but I've given everything in this period. I'm really connected to this club for life, it changed my life when I was 22 years of age and that will never change in my head no matter what. I really appreciate how they were through the game, and at the end of the game and I;m always a Chelsea person at heart though my work will go in different directions.

"I think some have been mindful of that for a while and it's been part of the problem. It's hard to compete in this league or at this level if some players are in that middle ground and too many are. That's been a thing. Maybe getting to the end of it is a good thing. Whoever is emotional or has their eye on somewhere else or whether the club want them to leave or they want to leave. Now we get to the bottom of it quickly. At the end the dressing room was pretty quiet.

"It's been a quiet dressing room since I got here. Some of that reflects a lack of confidence in the group but some of those things should have been addressed by the collective as a group anyway.

"Confidence only follows hard work, otherwise this game won't allow you to have confidence. There were a lot of those things so I think probably the players are sort of happy to have a break. They have to take responsibility for this season as a collective but also individually. They can have that break and it's up to all of them to show the pride and dedication it takes to be a Chelsea player to take the club forward."

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