Frank Lampard not worried about Manchester United

Last updated : 19 July 2011 By Daily Mail

Frank Lampard insists Manchester United's free-spending start to the summer is not causing concern in the Chelsea dressing room.

The Stamford Bridge side have been slow to enter the transfer market and last night made Thibaut Courtois their first new signing.?

But the teenage goalkeeper from Belgian outfit Genk will go straight out on loan to Atletico Madrid to replace Manchester United-bound David de Gea.

In contrast, United, who won the Barclays Premier League title by nine points last season, have already strengthened their squad by? lavishing ?50million on Phil Jones, Ashley Young and De Gea.

'Theyhave been very active and spent fortunes on good quality players but weknow we have a very good squad,' said midfielder Lampard, as Chelsea arrived in Malaysia for a four-game tour of Asia.

'Themanager wants us to come here so he can evaluate what he's got. We are going to be very strong next season and however much Manchester United spend, we still believe in ourselves. In the Roman Abramovich era we hadsix or seven very successful years. You can't win every year; that's obvious.

'United deserved to win the Premier League and I don't think anyone would dispute that? Barcelona deserved to win the? European Cup. Our problems came in the middle of the season when we couldn't get our focus right. This season will be about keeping our eye on the ball.'

Chelsea have yet to land any of their transfer targets. They remain hopeful of signing striker Romelu Lukaku from Anderlecht but it emerged Manchester City are set to launch a bid for the teenager dubbed the new Didier Drogba.

Lukaku wants to move to west London but City are expected to meet Anderlecht's asking price of ?18m, while Chelsea are still negotiating details of the fee. Another target, Neymar, seems destined to join Real Madrid when he leaves Santos in January.

Popular: Chelsea players were mobbed by fans as they arrived in Malaysia

New Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has not given up on Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean winger who looked set to join Barcelona from Udinese but has yet to sign.

Courtois passed his Chelsea medical but is unlikely to join the team on tour. He said: 'Villas-Boas knew me from when Genk played his former club Porto. I had to pinch myself when I was shown round Chelsea's training centre.

'Atletico will be another world for me. I'll have to fight for my place, but that is life at the top. The easiest option for me would have been to stay at Genk. I could be loaned out for a second or even third season before becoming part of Chelsea's first-team squad.'

Under pressure: Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas (left) is confident he can win the Champions League

Villas-Boas, meanwhile, will make a decision about whether to rush Ramires and David Luiz into his squad after Brazil's shock exit from Copa America, or whether to give them a break.

The Portuguese coach admitted the pressure will be on him at Chelsea, especially in Europe where they have failed to reach the Champions League semi-finals in two years.

'The pressure on Chelsea to win the Champions League is always legitimate,' said Villas-Boas. 'For sure, one day the trophy will arrive at this club.

'My job is to keep the standards high. Any manager of Chelsea is expected to win and I am not alone in this.'

?CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE FANTASY FOOTBALL GAMEI want Chelsea to be... The Untouchables! Villas-Boas aims for the Champions LeagueVillas-Boas putting finishing touches to ?7.9m deal for Genk goalkeeper CourtoisAll the latest Chelsea news, features and opinion

Source: Daily Mail

Source: Daily Mail