LAMPARD SET TO JOIN MANCHESTER CITY ON LOAN

English premier league champions Manchester City are set to sign former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard on loan from New York City FC.

Lampard set to join Manchester City on loan

Lampard was released by Chelsea this summer after 13 years at Stamford Bridge, his 211 goals in 649 matches making him the club's record scorer.

The 36-year-old signed for New York City last month on a two-year contract.

Manchester City and Major League Baseball's New York Yankees partnered to create the new MLS team and have also signed Spanish star David Villa for the squad.

Manchester City will host Chelsea in the Premier League on September 23 with Manuel Pellegrini's men then set to visit the west London side on January 31.

Villa will be on loan with Melbourne, Manchester City's sister club in Australia, until the MLS campaign begins.

Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano said: "One of the reasons David Villa and Frank Lampard decided to come to New York is because they know who manages and who owns the club."

The England midfielder hopes to keep his name in the mix for national team duty with the move, according to the newspaper.

Lampard, a member of the England squad that exited this year's World Cup in Brazil in the group stage, has scored 29 goals in 106 appearances for his country since making his international debut in 1999.

At his official New York unveiling, Lampard said: "I'm going to keep fit, that's the main thing. How I do that is not clear yet.

"I'm going to sit round with people at the club and sort that out."

A number of MLS players have spent the US close-season on loan to Premier League clubs, including Clint Dempsey at Fulham, Landon Donovan at Everton, Robbie Keane at Aston Villa and Thierry Henry at Arsenal.