Roman Abramovich told Frank Lampard can complete clever £97m transfer trick in new Chelsea
role
Roman Abramovich faces a fresh threat to Chelsea's transfer plans ahead of the January window
following Newcastle's accelerated pursuit of the west Londoners.
Former Blues technical director Michael Emenalo has emerged as the front runner to become
the Magpies' new director of football, according to The Telegraph, handing the Russian billionaire
a stern wake up call.
Emenalo became Chelsea's sporting director in 2011, signing the likes of Thibaut Courtois,
Kevin De Bruyne, Mo Salah, N’Golo Kante, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas before resigning
in 2017 following a falling out with Abramovich.
However, while the appointment of the former Blues transfer chief in Tyneside could hamper
Chelsea's behaviour in the market, Abramovich has been notified about the best solution
to combatting Newcastle's renewed threat.
Jai Mcintosh was joined by football.london Chelsea correspondents Sam Inkersole and Adam Newson live
on the Back Page Carefree Chelsea show to discuss Lampard's meticulous eye for talent
and how the club's all-time top goalscorer could aid Marina Granovskaia transfer market
battle with Emenalo.
Newson began by outlining Lampard as a potential director of football due to his unique success
rate with identifying exciting players like Declan Rice and Ben Chilwell.
"Frank Lampard can spot a player can't he," he began, much to Mcintosh's amusement. "For
all his faults, he can spot a footballer - he could be a sporting director is what I'm saying.
"He's spotted some very good players and he would push for Declan Rice. He pushed for
him in 2019. He pushed for him in 2020, it didn't happen.
"He pushed for the Ben Chilwell signing. He brought through Reece [James]. He was the
one who gave Mason [Mount] his head start in his career."
Newson then added by referencing how it was no coincidence that Lampard was able to find
good players for Chelsea, noting how he did at Derby County as well.
"I'm just saying that there's a lot of people who want to reimagine what Frank Lampard did
at Chelsea through a narrative but you can not question he knows what it takes to identify
a player who has the ability to go to the top," he continued.
"He even did it at Derby with the full-back Jayden Bogle - he promoted him from the academy
and gave him his head in the Championship.
"It's not just a Chelsea thing, Lampard knows a player when he sees one."