"Going to develop and be big players" - Frank Lampard backs three Chelsea stars to come good at the London club
Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has backed Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Noni Madueke to shine at the west London club.
The English tactician believes the trio can develop into big-name players under new manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Lampard said on the Diary of a CEO podcast (as quoted by Metro):
"I think some of the younger players, with a new voice (under Mauricio Pochettino) will now have a greater chance to show what they’ve got. They’re talented players. If you’re asking five, six or seven players to come in and hit the ground running, it’s tough. Especially as it was a difficult moment for the club."
Lampard added:
"But as a Chelsea fan, I think you look at it and think there’s reasons to be positive because there’s talent there. Players like Enzo Fernandez, Mudryk and Madueke are going to develop and be big players for the club."
The Blues were extremely busy in the transfer market during the 2022/23 campaign. The west London outfit spent more than £300 million in the January transfer window alone.
Chelsea broke the British transfer fee record to sign World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for nearly £107 million. They also spent £88.5 million to sign Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk, who was also pursued by their London-rivals Arsenal.
The Blues also secured Madueke's services from Dutch outfit PSV for around €35 million. It remains to be seen whether the rather expensive trio can live up to Lampard's expectations at the club.
"The intentions are certainly good" - Frank Lampard defends Chelsea's owners amid criticism over massive spending
Chelsea spent in excess of £600 million over the course of two transfer windows last season. As a result, the Blues' hierarchy have received massive criticism over their exorbitant spending.
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While many have condemned their actions, Lampard defended the club's new owners, who took charge in May 2022. The English manager insists that Chelsea's hierarchy is well-intentioned and will do what's best for the club.
Lampard said in the aforementioned podcast:
"The intentions are certainly good, I know that. I had a good relationship with the owners and their intentions are amazing, they want to take the club forward and be the best."
The former Chelsea midfielder added:
"The owners have spent that money because they want to do well and maybe they will readdress their strategy a bit going forward. We’ve already seen six or seven players have left this summer."