Chelsea legend Frank Lampard looks to be closing in on a return to management, almost 18 months on from his exit from Stamford Bridge.
Various reports claim that the former Blues midfielder and boss is in advanced talks with Championship side Coventry City to take over from Mark Robins. If it’s confirmed, it would be Lampard’s first job since a caretaker stint at Chelsea between April and June 2023.
The Sky Blues currently sit in 17th place in the table after a disappointing start to the season. They will hope that the appointment of a new manager will turn their fortunes around and see them climb towards the play-offs.
If that new man is to be Lampard, then it could open up a possibility for Chelsea. The link with the club could potentially see Lampard turn to his former club for loan deals, just as he did during his time as Derby County manager.
Both Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount joined the Rams on loan from Chelsea for the 2018/19 season. The duo impressed with their performances and returned to Stamford Bridge ready for first team action.
Sending young players on loan to the Championship can benefit the club in one of two ways if they impress. The players can either return to the club after the loan deal and establish himself in the first team – like Mount did.
The second scenario would see them boost their value for a potential sale. Selling academy graduates would be a boost in terms of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability rules (PSRs) due to the ales going down as pure profit in the club’s accounts.
The situation would be similar to the one of Omari Hutchinson in the summer. The 20-year-old impressed on loan with Ipswich Town last season, helping them to earn promotion to the Premier League.
The newly-promoted side paid £20million to Chelsea to make the deal permanent in the summer. That provided a boost in the summer transfer window.
It’s a trick they could potentially repeat with Lampard at Coventry in the January window. EFL rules state that clubs can take a maximum of four players on loan from a club, with a minimum of two being under the age of 23.
Therefore, if Chelsea were to send four young players to Coventry in January, and then sell them for the same price as Hutchinson in the summer, they could make around £80m. Even if the players are not sold, they will return with a year of Championship action under their belts and potentially be ready to challenge in the Chelsea first team.
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