It has been finally officially announced by Derby that Frank Lampard has been given permission to speak to Chelsea about becoming their manager. But there was a hint in that statement that the Rams, probably frustrated by losing their manager but knowing there’s nothing they can do, are keen to seal a deal ASAP.
As Matt Law notes in this piece about the announcement, there is a clear message from Derby in there “with pre-season fast approaching for both clubs it is hope this will allow Chelsea to swiftly conclude their discussions.
Chelsea especially suffered last year when they had Antonio Conte in charge actually into the preseason, while Derby will be aware that this is just the start for them – it’s only now that they accept Frank is going that they will be able to start looking for a replacement themselves.
Of course we can assume that Frank may have already agreed personal terms behind the scenes, so there’s really no need for delaying. All that remains is for him to get to London, probably let some lawyers look over some papers, and then sign the deal.
We would be very surprised if Lamps isn’t holding up a Blue shirt – for the second time in his career – before the week is out.
