Chelsea reach agreement to appoint Frank Lampard as manager until end of season

Frank Lampard has accepted a ‘short-term deal’ with Chelsea to take over as caretaker manager for the rest of the season.

There were inklings that a deal was on the table after the former player was spotted in the stands on Tuesday evening to watch the side’s goalless draw against Liverpool.

Now, football reporter Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the club and manager have indeed come to an agreement.

The Atheltic reports that Chelsea have reached an agreement in principle to appoint the club’s all-time goalscorer on an interim basis.

It will signal Lampard’s second stint as coach of the side he spent 13 years of his playing career with.

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Ashely Cole, Joe Edwards, and Chris Jones will join Lampard as part of his backroom staff.

He could be on the bench for the Premier League side as soon as this weekend’s fixture against the Wolves at Molineux, according to The Guardian.

The club will continue their search for a permanent manager come the end of the season with as many as five candidates for the role.

Recently sacked Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann is in the running, as are Luis Enrique, Mauricio Pochettino and Luciano Spalletti.

The Blues are heading into a crucial Champions League quarter-final clash against Real Madrid next week.

Despite the importance surrounding the game, the club maintained that they didn’t want to rush their search for a permanent coach.

Lampard managed the club from July 2019 to January 2021 before he was sacked and replaced by Thomas Tuchel.

In that time, Lampard guided Chelsea to a top-four finish and the FA Cup final during his first season, despite arriving back in the midst of a transfer embargo that meant he was unable to bolster the squad.

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He was able to bring in new players in his second season, but the writing appeared to be on the wall for the Chelsea legend after a run of five defeats in eight league games.

Most recently, Lampard was in charge at strugglers Everton, where he lasted just under a year before being axed as the Toffees found themselves languishing around the relegation places.

Chelsea were without a manager after Graham Potter was relieved of his duty after a run of poor results that see the club in 11th position on the Premier League ladder.

Potter was brought in from Brighton after a falling out between Tuchel and new Chelsea owner Tedd Boehly.

Bohely has reportedly delegated the club’s search for a permanent coach to the club's sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.