Chelsea: Lampard and players attracting talent to the Blues

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard and his players are almost like magnets; they’re attracting attention from all of Europe’s top stars.

The concept of managers or players being magnets to attract talents to the club is real and in play now for Chelsea. We have seen this before as managers like Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri attracted talent to the club simply because of who they are or the style each represents.

The current Chelsea magnet is the gaffer himself; young Frank Lampard. Lampard needs no introduction to footballers around the globe and despite being a second-year manager, his pull factor is greater than many anticipated. As the Blues’ all-time leading goal-scorer and one of the best attacking midfielders in history, Lampard has the star power himself to attract key players to his side.

Hakim Ziyech was almost certainly interested in Chelsea due to Lampard’s presence at the club. In addition, Lampard’s direction and modus operandi are proving to be magnetic to different types of talent. First, with his attacking style of football, Lampard sets a tone for players who embody the attacking mind-set. Ziyech, Timo Werner and hopefully soon, Kai Havertz, are certainly attracted to that exciting brand of football. Rumors linking Brenford’s Said Benrahma to Chelsea are also in the air—he’d fit that attacking bill perfectly, as well.

In addition, Lampard’s use of young talent from the Chelsea Academy in 2019/20 has certainly shown that the best players will play; regardless of age, pedigree or former status. This accessibility to playing time on merit is a great calling card for young players. They may have failed to receive an opportunity at their current clubs for any of a number of reasons. Now, young phenoms and their agents are acutely aware that Lampard will always choose the best players, period. Their performance will determine their playing time and that’s a nice attraction.

Thus, Lampard is the foundational magnet for the Blues, but there are others now emerging in the club who are also having a major impact. These are the players. Chelsea centerback and ‘agent’ Antonio Rudiger, as he is being called, has been widely accredited with a huge assist in helping seal the transfer of fellow German international, Werner. Werner is a prolific goalscorer and his addition could help rocket Chelsea to the top of the Premier League table next season. Rudiger’s influence was key in luring his fellow countryman to west London.

Now, the newly signed Werner is himself getting into the spirit and is seen as a possible force—along with Rudiger—in attracting another top European player in Havertz. It is yet to be seen whether this will bring Havertz to Chelsea, but the presence of his German teammates Rudiger and Werner certainly is a plus in making it a distinct possibility. Now, if they are successful in attracting Havertz to Chelsea, why not seek out the exact central defender they need to partner with Rudiger on defense, Bayern Munich’s Niklas Sule? Sule is a young, fast central defender from Germany who would fit the Blues like a glove. Further, he’d shore up the back line, just as Virgil van Dijk has for Liverpool.

Lampard and his team are establishing themselves as some of Europe’s top player magnets as the club seeks to build a new, dynamic and successful dynasty at SW6. Salary, club prestige and the chance of winning will always drive player moves; yet, Lampard and the Blues’ team magnets are additional chips in the pile. These chips may just tip the balance between a great player choosing another club or Chelsea. They are solid assets to have and Chelsea now has them in abundance.  Their magnetic force could very well deliver an even better summer transfer window than the present.