Lampard denies Havertz bid, focused on City match

24-Jun-2020 14:08:39 | Yahoo Sports

SHOWS: STOKE D'ABERNON, ENGLAND, UK (JUNE 24, 2020) (CHELSEA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) 1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, ON BAYER LEVERKUSEN'S KAI HAVERTZ, SAYING: "He's obviously a top player, but to follow on from my answer before, we're certainly not going to comment on other players of other teams and it cannot be our focus. So, nothing to say." JOURNALIST: "Can you confirm whether any bids have gone in? Whether you're in talks." LAMPARD: "No. No bids have gone in." 2. WHITE FLASH 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, ON A WIN TOMORROW OVER MANCHESTER CITY HELPING LIVERPOOL TO THE TITLE, SAYING: "I've got absolutely no thought of Liverpool's situation compared to this game for us. It makes no odds to us at all. We respect Liverpool and Manchester City as two fantastic teams. In the last two, three seasons they've been dominate. We can only look at it with what it means for us. This match, we want to try and win. We go against a great opponent and that's the only way I see it." 4. WHITE FLASH 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, COMPARING POTENTIALLY HELPING LIVERPOOL TO THE TITLE TO STOPPING TOTTENHAM FOUR SEASONS AGO, SAYING: "No, I don't think you can match a Chelsea-Tottenham game to potentially stop Tottenham winning the league. It genuinely isn't a feeling that I've had at all. I'm aware of the situation, but I can only focus on us. I'm enjoying watching every other game at the minute don't get me wrong, because football's back, but at the same time we have a job to do and our job is go up against one of the best teams in the land, in the world over the last few seasons and try get a result." 6. WHITE FLASH 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, ON 'WHITE LIVES MATTER' BANNER THAT FLEW OVER DURING MATCH BETWEEN MANCHESTER CITY AND BURNLEY, SAYING: "Yeah I think we were all disappointed with the banner. I think one of the really positive things about the recent happenings and the movement that's happening is the togetherness that the players are showing, clubs are showing, everyone involved is showing to try and move forward. So, I think it was a small step back, but the reaction I think has been another positive move and everybody I think has reacted in the same way outside of the people that think the other way to the rest of us and I think that's been positive in terms of that and we must keep moving forward. Every game, every day you are seeing players, clubs coming together and that's a great thing. That's what this is all about is being together and moving forward and we have some work to do and we'll all keep doing that." STORY: Chelsea have not made any bids for Bayer Leverkusen's Germany international Kai Havertz despite media reports linking the attacking midfielder with a move to Stamford Bridge, manager Frank Lampard said on Wednesday (June 24). Chelsea have already sealed deals to bring in Hakim Ziyech from Ajax Amsterdam and Leipzig forward Timo Werner as the London club start to rebuild the squad following a close-season transfer ban last year. Havertz, 21, has 16 goals and nine assists in all competitions this season and has played a pivotal role in Leverkusen's push for a Champions League spot but Lampard said Chelsea's focus is not on the transfer window at the moment. "He's obviously a top player but we are not going to comment on players of other teams. No bids have gone in," Lampard told reporters in a virtual news conference ahead of Thursday's (June 25) match at home to second-placed Manchester City. If Liverpool win Wednesday's match at home to Crystal Palace, Chelsea could hand them their first top-flight title for 30 years with a victory, but Lampard is not thinking about the league leaders. "I have no thought of Liverpool's situation," he said. "I respect what Liverpool have done, but we want to try to win." Chelsea are fourth in the standings with 51 points from 30 games, five clear of fifth-placed Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification. City are in second place on 63 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool who have 83. (Production: Stefan Haskins)