Chelsea: Has Lampard been trained in the transfer market by his old mentor?

Adaptation has become second nature to Frank Lampard ever since he fulfilled the sacred footballing prophesy of managing his former club.

Ever since being catapulted into Chelsea’s hot seat, Lampard has maneuvered around a transfer ban by integrating the finest of Cobham’s talent into a squad with an array of international stars. Lampard has adapted to the ferocity of the Premier League via new tactics, styles and player combinations to battle the very best, coming up trumps on more than one occasion.

His most celebrated moment of adjustment came in the 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in late December, spoiling the Christmas festivities by outwitting his ex-mentor, Jose Mourinho. The apprentice became the master on the pitch, but has Lampard also taken a few off the pitch tips from Mourinho?

Lampard has adapted to a partial freedom in the transfer market by securing two of Europe’s most wanted before the window has even officially opened. Hakim Ziyech’s arrival from Ajax has been teased to Blues fans since January, wetting their appetite further by next month’s likely addition of free-scoring Timo Werner. Lampard has demonstrated a ruthlessness by climatizing to the threat of their adversaries swooping in to sign his targets, fending them off with a clear strategy of conducting Chelsea business.

When the Special One proclaimed himself on English shores in 2004, he did so by revealing arguably the continent’s most in-form striker, Didier Drogba, as the pioneer for his all-conquering quest. Drogba had been thrust into the spotlight by his performances in the Champions League. Ten years later, he acted in similar fashion when introducing the drama of Diego Costa into the lives of Chelsea fans. The Spaniard scored 36 goals for Atletico Madrid as they won La Liga and simultaneously reached the Champions League final before he was unveiled as a Chelsea forward. Both frontmen would win the league in their first attempt, Costa as top goal scorer with 20.

Fast track back to present day. Lampard has himself likely acquired the services of a formidable forward with Werner impressing in the Bundesliga and in Europe with RB Leipzig. In particular— ironically enough—against Mourinho’s Spurs in the Round of 16, having scored at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the knockout round.

Moving deeper infield, Cesc Fabregas swapped the sunshine of Barcelona for the London lifestyle as Mourinho’s first signing in his second coming. Mourinho earmarked the midfielder his creative weapon as Fabregas ended the campaign being the league’s leading assist provider with 18.

Searching for inspiration in the final third, look no further than the left-foot of Ziyech. The Moroccan magician notched up 21 assists in all competitions before the Eredivisie season was declared void, a trio of those coming at Stamford Bridge in the stunning draw of the Champions League group stage. Interestingly, Fabregas and Ziyech were 27 and 26 respectively when they signed for the Blues, arguably both at the peak of their powers.

Front man: check. Playmaker: check. Left back: pending.

Lampard has stepped up his pursuit of Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell, despite already wielding Marcos Alonso and Emerson in his squad, as he aims to continue his trend of boasting the brightest England has to offer. This could well be the next saga of the summer. The saga is strikingly similar to that of another Englishman—Ashley Cole—and his conclusion with Arsenal in 2006, finally joining Chelsea after months of being linked away from the fellow London outfit. Cole was still climatizing off the back of a World Cup and Champions League final with the Gunners before Mourinho made a move for him on deadline day.

Chilwell could have been preparing himself for a trip away to the European Championships with the national team before its postponement, accompanied by a potential venture into Europe domestically with the Foxes should they continue their fine form in the league.

But, these similarities may just be a coincidence. Any club on Chelsea’s upward trajectory could do with a defender, midfielder and attacker. Any manager would jump at the chance of the potential plethora of ability now at Lampard’s fingertips.

However, his constant cycle of learning and developing comes as no accident. He witnessed first-hand which figures best benefit the Blues across his career; a playing relationship spanning decades, littered with triumph and trophies. Now, he has the tools to continue the sequence, built upon the experience of tribal glories, adapting the works of his past employers.