Ross Barkley's name tends to crop up rather frequently when it comes to players Frank Lampard should move on ahead of the 2020/21 season.
Enduring a mixed spell at Stamford Bridge in his 30 months at the club following his £15million move from Everton, the likes of Newcastle United and West Ham have been linked with a summer move for him.
Making a real impression on Merseyside after Roberto Martinez gave him a regular spot in the side back in 2013, the talented midfielder has not been able to replicate his best performances on a consistent basis in west London.
Fans have often called on the club to cash in on him, especially with Chelsea linked with a big-money move for Bayer Leverkusen ace Kai Havertz.
However, amid the uncertainty over the player's long-team future in SW6, Barkley appears to be playing his way into Lampard's plans.
The England international has been in excellent form since the Premier League restart and he demonstrated it on Saturday evening against Watford.
Teeing up Olivier Giroud for the opener with an impressive pass, he then got the goal his performance deserved in stoppage-time with a high finish beyond the reach of Ben Foster.
Barkley is now getting the praise he deserves and Giroud was waxing lyrical about him when discussing the comfortable win after the game.
"I like to do that run. Ross had great vision, he gave me a good ball, and I managed to put it in," the Frenchman told the club's official website.
"I’m happy for him, and for him to score at the end. I have a good relationship with him on the pitch, we’re mates also, and I love playing here with Ross."
Clearly needing a run of games to recapture his form and hit the heights from his time at Everton, Barkley is now getting that under Lampard.
He has scored three goals and registered five assists in his last 10 starts for Chelsea, and those numbers will only skyrocket with the more games he plays.
Lampard is clearly happy with what he is getting from his former England teammate at present and he stated that Barkley is a "big player" for the Blues after his winner at Leicester City in the FA Cup last Sunday.
A number of fans may not agree with that statement from the head coach given his up and down time in London, but his current numbers suggest that he is indeed that for the Europa League holders.
The 26-year-old will continue to play a big role for Chelsea over their remaining games before the season is out and his recent involvement appears to confirm his place in Lampard's plans for the 2020/21 campaign.
After all, would the club's record goalscorer be starting him ahead of Ruben Loftus-Cheek or another midfielder at present if he didn't see a future for him in west London?
Given talk that Barkley could be the one to make way for Havertz or someone else this summer, both Lampard and Marina Granovskaia have such a simple decision to make when it comes down to his future at Stamford Bridge.
A player who contributes to the team in terms of goals and assists, with his recent performances highlighting this, the midfielder must remain at the club next campaign.
Lampard knows full well what type of player he has and now Chelsea fans could finally be about to see the real Ross Barkley.
