Lampard: I’ve told club the players we need
Frank Lampard promised Chelsea will return to the transfer market with a coherent strategy when the January window opens today.
Lampard wants to strengthen his options in attack where Olivier Giroud, pedro and Willian are all out of contract in the summer.
Wilfried Zaha and Jadon Sancho are among the targets and there is interest reported in Lyon’s moussa dembele, a player admired by Stamford Bridge scouts since he emerged as a teenager at Fulham.
Lampard also wants a left back, with Bournemouth’s nathan ake among the options.
ake came through the Chelsea academy after joining from Feyenoord and his return would be in line with the club’s policy of backing homegrown players.
Some of Lampard’s predecessors have clashed with the board over transfer policy, but the 41-year-old expects a central role and has a good relationship with director marina Granovskaia, technical and performance adviser petr Cech and head of international scouting Scott mcLachlan.
‘We are certainly joined up,’ said Lampard. ‘marina, petr and Scott know what I want and I will be fundamentally in the middle of who we bring in.
‘We have to get recruitment right. That’s a huge deal. not just who the individuals are who come in, but also can they help us with the way we want to play? I have a clear idea of what that is.’
Chelsea have money to spend after banking £170million last summer from the sales of players including Eden Hazard and alvaro morata. The club were banned at the time from making signings, other than mateo kovacic, who made a loan permanent for £40m.
The summer sales will minimise the impact of the £100m losses Chelsea revealed last night for the year ending June 30, though the financial results will likely still be factored into any spending this month. Lampard is also wary of upsetting the chemistry of a young squad that has responded well to his management style since he replaced maurizio Sarri.
The loss was revealed in the club’s latest financial results but, after two profitable years, the Blues insisted they are compliant with UEFa’s Financial Fair play regulations. Turnover rose to £446.7million, and the club cited a lack of Champions League football, the cost of changing managers and a record outlay on players kepa arrizabalaga, Christian pulisic, kovacic and Jorginho for the £96.6m loss.
Chairman Bruce Buck said: ‘Consistent revenue growth and careful financial management over recent seasons has allowed the club to make significant levels of investment in the playing staff whilst maintaining compliance with UEFa Financial Fair play regulations.’