Frank Lampard is back, and Chelsea fans are over the moon. With Steven Gerrard returning to the Premier League as head coach for Aston Villa, it's only right that Lampard makes his grand entrance too.
He's only been in the job a day, and Lampard is already showing his credibility as a top manager. He's pulled some interesting names in the last minutes of the transfer window, such as Dele Alli and Donny Van de Beek. I cannot wait to see how he transformed his Everton team. More importantly, I can't wait to see what Chelsea players he can potentially grab.
Surely, we cannot think that he wouldn't linger upon the thought of bringing some Cobham talent to the Merseyside.
Steven Gerrard managed to bring Philippe Coutinho back to England. Not for Liverpool, but for his current team, Aston Villa. Whilst Coutinho played alongside Gerrard briefly in his career. It was enough to bring him over from Barcelona. Just think of the pull that Lampard will have with the Chelsea boys.
The first person on his list would probably be Mason Mount, but that’s not happening now, is it? As much as I’d love to see that reunion, I’d rather keep him in west London.
Let me break down who I think he could have his eye on...
Billy Gilmour
I cannot picture a life where Lampard does not try his luck with Gilmour. Whether it being a loan move or a permanent deal, Gilmour is a player that any manager would love to help cultivate. Lampard has already assisted in developing his career, having taken a chance on him in 2019. He made 16 first-team appearances under his former boss, and his career has been on an upward trajectory ever since.
His phenomenal performances during EURO2020 for Scotland put his name on the map. After that, it was virtually impossible to keep him on the bench at Chelsea.
Unfortunately, his time at Norwich hasn’t gone to plan, and he’s faced some difficulties with the Canaries. He will be looking for a route back into the Chelsea squad, which could mean another loan move this summer. Once they are reunited, I am 100% sure that Lampard will bring out the best of Gilmour once again. With less than 18 months on his current deal, it could become a real crossroads in the summer for Gilmour's future.
Kurt Zouma & Andreas Christensen
Despite leaving Chelsea last summer and signing a four-year contract with West Ham, I believe Zouma and Lampard are a match made in heaven. Lampard clearly got the best out of the 26-year-old Frenchman whilst he was managing Chelsea.
Nobody in the Premier League wanted to face a menacing Zouma. He was untouchable in aerial duels and frightening in a set piece. His best years came under Lampard, so why not consider the possibility. The fact he had a great time at Everton while on loan, and they wanted to keep him on a permanent before Lampard got the Chelsea role, it feels it could be a dream move.
A more likely situation could be the possibility of Christensen. It is well-known that Christensen would prefer a move away from the Bridge. Though his first choice seems to be Barcelona, Everton could use his helping hand.
Lampard trusted Christensen more than he did Fikayo Tomori and Antonio Rudiger. He played more games than the pair under the ex Chelsea boss but has recently struggled with Thomas Tuchel’s back three switches.
Christensen’s contract is up this summer, and he would be a free steal for Lampard’s Toffees.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Never say never. Loftus-Cheek is the talent that Chelsea fans wish well. Many of us have been advocates for Loftus-Cheek to become one of the greatest players to come from Cobham, but injuries let us down. He still remains a natural talent, and I see no reason as to why Lampard would not take a chance on him.
Everton already has a bulked-up midfield, but we know about Lampard how much he loves a midfield three. He truly is almost a complete midfielder. He is an attacking, box to box player and guaranteed to give it his best. There’s no telling how much rotation he would need. With Fabian Delph out of contract at the end of the season and Tom Davies and Andros Townsend out in the next, Lampard could look to have a midfield overhaul to bring in the likes of Loftus-Cheek.
With that being said, Demari Gray, Andre Gomes, and Abdoulaye Doucoure are still in great form, and the competition would be awfully tight.
There you have it, four possible Chelsea talents thatLampard could potentially go for in the summer. I think the defence may need to be prioritised. I’d probably use this article as an order of importance.
Gilmour and Loftus-Cheeks current transfer values on Transfermarkt add up to £42m with Christesen up for grabs on a free currently in the summer. If Chelsea could get funds into the club to spend areas, that would be a huge boost to give Tuchel the tools to move onto the next level in the pursuit to win the Premier League.
Who would you like to see Lampard sign this summer?
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