Lampard not ruling out keeping Blues duo despite Ziyech deal
Frank Lampard says the impending arrival of Hakim Ziyech does not mean it's the end of the road for Willian and Pedro at Chelsea.
The Blues confirmed on Thursday that they had agreed a deal with Ajax for Morocco international Ziyech worth an estimated €40million and that he will finalise his move to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Ziyech is the first signing of the Lampard era at Chelsea with the club having served a transfer ban last summer before deciding against bringing in anyone in January and the head coach is excited to have him on board.
Lampard hopes Ziyech could be the answer to Chelsea’s problem of failing to turn possession into goals having become frustrated with his team’s inability to capitalise on their dominance in games.
“If there’s a winner there that wants to win, is angry when they lose and wants to play every week that feels good too.”
Frank Lampard on Hakim Ziyech 😍 pic.twitter.com/l1OrVWn5f9— Chelsea FC News (@Chelsea_FL) February 14, 2020
Willian and, to a lesser extent, Pedro have been part of that frontline that hasn’t always produced the goods this season and their futures in west London have been called into question following the Ziyech announcement.
Both men are due to fall out of contract at the end of the season and are currently free to speak to non-English clubs about a move.
Willian is understood to be attracting a lot of attention with Barcelona and Juventus keen on the Brazilian, while Pedro, who has only made 13 appearances this season, is angling for a move back to the Nou Camp.
With both forwards in their 30s, Lampard is keen to keep the experienced duo around his relatively young squad and hopes an agreement on contract extensions can be reached.
When asked if Ziyech’s arrival meant Willian and Pedro are surplus to requirements at Chelsea, Lampard stated: “No it doesn’t
“Conversations are ongoing with those players. They have both been successful players with the club.”
Ziyech might not be the only attacking addition Chelsea make to their squad this summer with reports suggesting they are very keen on Borussia Dortmund and England forward Jadon Sancho.
Willian and Pedro’s game-time would be limited even further were Sancho to join, although the Blues face a lot of competition for the £100million-rated 19-year-old.
