It may not be long until Chelsea FC are able to introduce their next manager, and it’s going to be club legend Frank Lampard. He’s the current boss at Championship side Derby County, and the Derbyshire club confirmed Chelsea’s approach and negotiations in a brief statement on Tuesday.
“Derby County Football Club can confirm that they have granted permission for Chelsea Football Club to speak to Frank Lampard about the vacant managerial position at Stamford Bridge,” reads the short official statement from the club.
“With preseason fast approaching for both clubs it is hoped this will allow Chelsea to swiftly conclude their discussions.”
“The club will make no further comment until it is appropriate to do so.”
Numerous outlets have previously reported that Chelsea will pay Derby £4 million to buy out the contract of their current manager; having received £5 million from Juventus in the buy out of Maurizio Sarri transaction.
It is thought that the Frank Lampard transaction can be signed, sealed and delivered by the end of the week; which is right on target with what the west London side was hoping for when they announced the hire of former goalkeeper Petr Cech as Technical and Performance Advisor last week.
Derby had been holding out hope on keeping Lampard, but this statement confirms their acknowledgement of his inevitable departure.
In his first and only season in charge at Derby, he lead them to a sixth place in the Championship, which included an appearance in the Championship playoff final, where they lost to Aston Villa. The Romford London native is Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer, having netted 147 times in 429 appearances during his career in west London, which spanned from 2001-2014.
His appointment will certainly draw a lot of comparisons to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United, where you also have a former player, who is very young and inexperienced, taking over the reigns.
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