Lampard: Lack of signings may cost us top-four spot
FRANK LAMPARD fears that Chelsea’s failure to sign anyone last month could cost them a place in next season’s Champions League.
Despite having their transfer ban lifted, the Premier League side could not secure deals for players such as Dries Mertens and Edinson Cavani.
The Chelsea manager, who had hoped to add experience and quality to his squad, believes they are now underdogs in the top-four battle after seeing their rivals strengthen.
Heading into today’s match at Leicester, Chelsea have a six-point cushion in fourth place but below them Manchester United, Tottenham, Sheffield United and Arsenal have all added to their squads.
When asked whether that worried him, a frustrated Lampard said: ‘Yes. Every time I look at the TV another player signs for a club. That’s the transfer window. But if I’m looking at it with my business head on and looking around us in the table and I look at Manchester United obviously signing a big, big player (Bruno Fernandes), a worldclass player in my opinion, and the teams around us, Sheffield United making fantastic signings.
‘Tottenham have signed a few and they’re not far behind us. And not only have they signed a few but a couple of players have left where obviously — not being too crude about it — they were towards the end of their contracts and maybe weren’t happy being at the club any more. Sometimes that’s as important as bringing players in.
‘From my view — and this is not to talk ourselves down because we’re six points clear in fourth — we have become probably the underdogs and outsiders because teams around us strengthened.’
Though Lampard (below) insisted doing no business was better than doing the wrong business, he admitted this was an opportunity missed: ‘Recruitment is huge for a team who want to be successful, but people will get bored if I keep crying about that fact.’
Despite Lampard’s claim that his side are underdogs and just one win in their last four league games, victory today will close the gap on third- placed Leicester to five points. ‘It’s going to be a real big fight,’ he added. ‘We have to be up for that challenge.’
Before the clash with Leicester, Tammy Abraham requires a late fitness test on his ankle, but Ruben Loftus-Cheek enjoyed a full week of training for the first time since rupturing an achilles tendon.