Chelsea have been slapped with a £4 million fee as compensation for Frank Lampard, who is favourite to replace the departing Maurizio Sarri.
Frank Lampard is believed to be the fan’s favorites in taking over Maurizio Sarri as Chelsea’s manager next season. However, according to The Sun, the Blues will need to pay as £4 million as compensation fee if they are to prise him away from Derby County this summer.
This is because of a certain ‘Champions League clause’. And since Chelsea have qualified for the coveted tournament, having finished third in the league table in the recently concluded Premier League campaign, they will need to cough up £4 million in order to attain the services of the club legend.
Speaking of compensations, Chelsea and Juventus have reportedly agreed a £7 million settlement for Sarri, who still had two years left on his current deal. Now one would think that the Blues could use that fee to pay Lampard’s reported compensation of £4 million.
But, the West London giants are aware of the fact that the 40-year-old has had minimal managerial experience, which, the board fears could be problematic. He only took charge of Derby Country at the start of last season and did manage to guide the Rams to the final of the Championship promotion playoff, narrowly missing out on promotion due to a defeat against Aston Villa.
The fact that Chelsea will take part in four different competitions, including the Carabao Cup next season coupled with their transfer ban for the next two windows could make things much more difficult for Lampard than it already is. Not to mention that the Blues have also lost star player Eden Hazard, who has recently moved to a Real Madrid in a big-money move.
That being said, Chelsea’s apparent problems could force them to rely on the homegrown talents they have in long supply. And that’s where Lampard’s knowledge of English football could come in handy when compared to that of other experienced foreign managers, who could find it challenging to adapt to this situation.
The 40-year-old could thus, be an ideal candidate as Chelsea look to start from scratch and build their team around young, promising individuals. The likes of Callum-Hudson Odoi and Reece James have already shown immense potential while Chelsea will be boosted by the addition of former Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic.
The American international joined the Blues in the January transfer window, and he will be tasked with the responsibility of replacing the departed Hazard for the time being. Hence, it will be interesting if Chelsea are willing to appoint their first English manager in 26 years or will they stick to a less risky option by option for a well-established manager this summer.
