Frank Lampard reveals how transfer ban can boost Chelsea and start to season

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard believes transfer ban can boost their start to the season by removing any distractions at the start of August. Lampard replaced Maurizio Sarri after a successful debut season in Derby Couty last season, however, the Chelsea legend could not sign any players for the club. The Blues are banned from signing players during the next two transfer windows until the end of January 2020. The only change to the original FIFA ban is that the Blues can sign under-16 players from the UK during the suspension period. Chelsea’s fine of £460,000 by world football’s governing body also remains. It followed the investigation into their signing of foreign under-18 players. “A club like Chelsea always wants to improve in terms of the transfer market, if you can bring in players who can improve the squad you look at that,” Lampard admitted.  “But the decision and the story was made before I got the job. The transfer ban is here so it is probably a waste of my time to think too much about what could have been or should have been, my job is to have an absolute belief in the players and that is what I think the week’s training has started to give me, because I can see a quality and attitude within the squad. When you know where you are at it hones in what is important, which is the club together, players, fans, staff, everybody, giving everything to improve daily and improve game by game, because with the squad we have we can be really competitive this year. It helps me focus and if there’s a blessing in disguise it’s the fact that we don’t have a stressful start of August with the transfer window.” Not everything is bad for the Blues, because they have a number of high-profile players out on loan. Meson Mount is one of those players and he has signed a new five-year deal after an impressive loan season at Derby County. The impact of the transfer ban could hand him a chance to force his way into the first-team squad. “In terms of where it leaves us with people like Mason Mount, I am delighted that he has signed a new contract,” Lampard added. “I think everybody knows that I have a keen eye for the younger players in the academy, that they have produced and we have a batch of them that are fighting to get into the first team. To be absolutely clear, they now have to make the difference. It’s a road that is given to them and now they have to be the ones that play well enough to get into the team. I don’t care about age, I care about performance and how people train and play. Now with the squad, it is up to those players to show what they can do.” Chelsea jetted off for their pre-season trip to Japan. Lampard’s side plays their first game in the country in four days against Kawasaki Frontale.  The Blues face the J.League champions Kawasaki Frontale on Friday and Barcelona in Saitama on Tuesday 23 July.

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