New Delhi: Chelsea legend Frank Lampard recently made a return to club management with EFL Championship side Coventry City. The 46-year-old returns to the league where he started his managerial journey about six years back with Derby County. Lampard was a young, up and coming manager back then who took the Rams to the promotion playoffs finally before cruelling failing at the last step.
Things are a little different for the Englishman now. Following the stint with Derby County, Lampard’s reputation as a manager has taken a big hit after back-to-back disappointing Premier League spells, first with Everton and then with Chelsea, when he was appointed as caretaker manager after the dismissal of Graham Potter. While both those stints were marred by off-field drama and the environment wasn’t the most conducive, not everyone remembers the context.
Lampard’s latest appointment is widely seen as a last chance for the English manager to get his fledgling managerial career back on track. The last time Lampard was in the Championship, his team was helped out by two notable Chelsea loanees, Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount. Keeping that in mind, here’s a look at the five potential players that Lampard can loan in from his former club.
5) Tyrique George
Tyrique George has the capability to be a starter for Chelsea’s first-team. (Photo by Lyndsay Radnedge/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Chelsea have a talented young winger in their ranks in 18-year-old Tyrique George. He’s already turned out for the first team four times in the UEFA Conference League this season but has played just 108 minutes in that time. George has been playing regularly in the PL2 however, and he has been on fire for the Chelsea developmental side. He has five assists and a goal in eight appearances for the U21 team this season.
George has been knocking on the first team door since the end of last season but given the wealth of attacking options Chelsea have in their ranks, it’s extremely difficult for the teenager to break in. A move away on loan would help fast-track George’s progress and Lampard could take advantage of that and bring the 18-year-old over to help his side ward off any relegation troubles.
4) Josh Acheampong
Josh Acheampong is one of Chelsea’s highest rated prospects. (Image via @Blue_Footy ‘X’)
Similarly to Tyrique George, Josh Acheampong is another one of Chelsea’s highly rated academy prospects who is threatening to break into the club’s first team. A contract dispute between Acheampong and the club led to him being frozen out last month but reports suggest that the two parties have found a breakthrough and things look towards smoothening out. He has missed out on a lot of action given the contract dispute and a loan could work in his favour.
He had a chance to break through into the first team given Reece James’ injury troubles but Enzo Maresca has often used Axel Disasi and Wesley Fofana in the position when Malo Gusto isn’t available. He has even used Marc Cucurella in the position, indicating that it might take Acheampong a bit more time to make his way into the team. Like he did with Tomori, Lampard could take another talented defender on loan from Chelsea to help his team out with Coventry only having one registered right-back in their squad.
3) Deivid Washington
Deivid Washington doesn’t seem to be Enzo Maresca’s plans (Image via @AntonioMango4 ‘X’)
Not many fans would realize that Brazilian striker Deivid Washington is still at the club while some might not know that he was even a Chelsea player. Bought in the summer of last season from Santos, Washington has made only a handful of appearances for the first team. The club tried to offload him in the summer for a quick profit but a move failed to materialize twice. The club pulled the plug on a deal to sell him to sister club RC Strasbourg and then a proposed loan switch to Hull City fell through as well.
As a result, Washington remains at Stamford Bridge but is yet to make an appearance for the first team. His form for the U21s though is electric as he’s scored four goals in as many games and has even provided an assist for the PL2 side. He’s scored a total of 10 goals in 17 games for the U21s showcasing his potential and Lampard could turn to the 19-year-old to address his side’s goalscoring issues. Apart from Haji Wright, no player has scored more than three goals for Coventry and Washington could help rectify that.
2) Omari Kellyman
Omari Kellyman has struggled with injuries since his switch. (Image via @FabrizioRomano ‘X’)
A signing that many fans might have missed in the summer, 19-year-old Omari Kellyman joined the Blues in a £20 million deal from Aston Villa. Widely believed to have only been done to help with PSR, Kellyman is said to have been one of Villa’s brightest prospects when he broke through. The attacking midfielder has been suffering an injury since the start of the season that hasn’t allowed him to make any appearances for the first team and only made two appearances for the U21s as well.
A part of the Derby County academy for a very long time, Hellyman was at the club when Lampard was manager of Derby County and would know a thing or two about the youngster. He could ask to bring the 19-year-old at Coventry City given the lack of creativity shown by the Sky Blues. Lampard has shown that he’s good with developing young players in the past, he could make Kellyman the Mason Mount of his Coventry side.
1) Carney Chukwuemeka
Carney Chukwuemeka has immense talent but needs regular game-time. (Image via @ChelseaInPhotos ‘X’)
If Chelsea aren’t willing to let go of an attacking midfielder they signed from Villa this summer, Lampard can look at bringing in the attacking midfielder they signed from Villa last to last summer in Carney Chukwuemeka. The 21-year-old is a talented midfielder who has been plagued with recurrent injury niggles that haven’t let him settle down at the club. Since signing for the club in 2022, he has made 31 appearances for the Blues and has shown glimpses of brilliance in that short span.
He doesn’t seem to be a part of Enzo Maresca’s plans and was put up for sale by the Chelsea head coach in the summer. After the club failed to offload him in the transfer window, he was integrated back into the first team set-up but he’s only played 60 minutes of football for the club. Chukwuemeka would be an amazing signing for Lampard if he can stay fit and he can be the main man around whom Lampard can build his squad. Given that the club were interested in getting rid of the midfielder, Lampard won’t face many problems in getting him should he want to.
Frank Lampard was recently announced as the manager for Championship side Coventry City. With the team sitting just above the relegation zone, the following Chelsea players can be targeted in the upcoming transfer window. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
