Kenyon calls for tighter rules on player contracts

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon yesterday called for stricter rules to create greater stability in teams and ensure contracts between players and clubs were honoured.

Kenyon, who has been instrumental in securing some of Chelsea's biggest signings, said the sport and its fans could suffer greatly if players and clubs made ducking out of contracts a trend in the game.

"The contract stability issue is really important for football at every level," Kenyon told reporters.

"No one is forced into a contract... we're expected to (honour contracts) and our players should be too. Football has got to look at this seriously.

"You need to be able to think this is not just my team for this season, but these guys are here two or three years.

"If fans thought next year there would be a new squad of 23 players, the game would also lose something."

Kenyon confirmed Chelsea were no closer to knowing Frank Lampard's future at the club, but were confident the England midfielder would remain at Stamford Bridge.

"We don't sell our best players, we don't need to and we're not going to," he said. "We want Frank to stay. We expect him to be in a Chelsea shirt."

Kenyon was speaking in Kuala Lumpur before today's match with a Malaysian select team, the third game of a gruelling sweep through Asia aimed at boosting the club's international profile.

Kenyon said the Premier League's much-criticised proposal of each club playing one game overseas should not be completely dismissed because of the league's global popularity and the huge television revenues generated.

"We are supportive of evaluating the proposal," he said. "We have to recognise it's probably the global league in football."