Frank Lampard has been told that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich wants him to return to the club when he has retired from playing.
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Lampard has confirmed he will be leaving Stamford Bridge this summer after 13 seasons as he seeks to continue his career in midfield and has been strongly linked with a move to New York City, the Major League Soccer's new franchise set up and backed by Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour.
However, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says the door is open for him to return on his terms when the time is right.
"Mr Abramovich, the number one, the most important person at the club, wants Frank to be back very much,"
Mourinho, Yahoo's global football ambassador, said. "Everybody wants it. I want him to be back and the staff want him back, so he comes back for sure. He can come back the way he wants.
"Mr Abramovich has left the door completely open for him on the understanding Frank can do anything he wants at this club. He can try things, feel where he is better suited, we can feel as a club where he can give us more, but he can come back when he wants and, to repeat Mr Abramovich's words, in the way he wants.
"He can be a coach, he can start at the academy, he can start being my assistant at the same time because he is doing his coaching badges, or he can start in a different role. He could decide, 'I don't want to start immediately in the coaching role, I want another role'.
"He could be an ambassador, or want to work hand-in-hand with the chief executive, representing the club in important places of our life. He can do what he wants, so he has to be back.