Trusting in the inevitability that football will not be played for a considerable amount of time, there still remains the ever-present rumour mill that has been churning out some more than interesting rumours about the latest possible transfer for Franks men.
Gabriel Magalhaes
Perhaps a relatively unknown name for the majority of Premier League transfer fans, the highly coveted young centre back Gabriel Magalhaes has been a mainstay in the Lille back as the Les Douges currently sit fourth in the league as they patiently await the return of football.
At 22 years old, the Brazilian centre back is a rare commodity that is attracting attention from a plethora of European and Premier League clubs. What makes him rare is that, for a player so young, he has managed to play a considerable amount of football at such a young age in a top five league. Additionally, he is a left-footed, left sided centre back, which is much harder to come by than one might guess. Lampard will be more aware than other managers with his abilities having watched him play twice this season in the Champions League.
Magalhaes is a ball-playing centre back. Having completed the second most passes in the Lille side as well as the second most completed long balls in the entire league. He still has to develop a bit more physically, but it’s clear to see why Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea are all interested in this man.
Achraf Hakimi
One of the most exciting young fullbacks in world football, Achfraf Hakimi is one of the standout players in an extremely dynamic and exciting Dortmund side, he is attracting a lot of transfer attention.
The 21-year-old Moroccan full back, who is now into his second year of his loan from parent club Real Madrid. Over the course of this season, including both the league and Champions League, Hakimi has contributed to 17 goals in 33 games as well as demonstrating his defensive versatility and combination play.
Hakimi will be on the wish list of all big clubs in Europe come the summer, however it seems exceptionally unlikely that he will be anywhere other than the Zidanes Real Madrid. He is clearly destined to dominate world football, and is without a doubt one of the most highly rated young players currently. He would add so much to Lampard’s Blues but it’s highly likely that this is simply media talk rather than anything else.
Jude Bellingham
Once again it appears that Chelsea are being linked for a transfer with another promising young player, and this one is no different. Jude Bellingham is the academy starlet from the midlands Blues, attracting interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Dortmund.
The 16-year-old has been a mainstay in Pep Clotet’s side this season, having played in 32 championship games, contributing to 4 goals and 2 assists in the time. Bellingham is a commanding presence in the midfield, especially for his age. When analysing the youngster through a statistical lens, nothing instantly jumps out as potentially world class yet it is worth taking into account that he plays in one of the most demanding leagues in the world and is so young its frightening. If he were to make the switch to any of the rumoured clubs, there is little doubt that his stats would see a massive rise as his physicality and technical ability develop simultaneously.
However, with such an overabundance of midfield talent already at Chelsea, it again appears unlikely that Bellingham would make the move over to West London, despite being a boyhood fan of the club.
By Jai Mcintosh