There has been no approach from Chelsea for Frank Lampard, says Derby chairman Mel Morris.
The Rams boss has been heavily tipped to succeed Maurizio Sarri in the Blues hot seat this summer.
Sarri left Stamford Bridge for Juventus after just one season on Sunday, having guided Chelsea to a third-place Premier League finish and a Europa League trophy.
Chelsea legend Lampard, whose debut managerial season saw Derby reach the Championship play-off final, is the bookmakers’ favourite to become the 12th manager under Blues owner Roman Abramovich.
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But Morris is desperate to keep hold of the former England midfielder, who has two years left on his Derby deal.
In a statement, Morris said: “We have made it very clear to everyone, but most importantly to Frank, that we want to retain Frank for the long term.
“If Chelsea want to hire Frank, then it is in their gift to make an offer in pursuit of that.
“In the meantime, we will continue to put our best foot forward to continue with our plans for the coming season and work with Frank for him to know how much he is wanted by everyone associated with the club.”
Lampard won every major honour during a trophy-laden 13-year spell with Chelsea and is also their top scoring player with 211 goals.
The Blues will reportedly have to pay a £4million compensation fee to prize the 40-year-old away from Derby.