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24 August 2020

Poyet: Lampard Will Welcome High Expectations  (Sky Sports)

Frank LampardGus Poyet says Frank Lampard will welcome the pressure that comes with being expected to lead Chelsea to trophies.

Chelsea appear set to be huge players in the transfer market this window, with deals close for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Kai Havertz, Leicester full-back Ben Chilwell and former Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva.

With the signings of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner already concluded, Poyet thinks a repeat of last season's fourth-place finish, 33 points behind champions Liverpool, will not be acceptable this time for his former club.

"Now we are coming to a moment when it looks like Chelsea are really going to invest," Poyet told the Transfer Show. "It changes the parameters completely from last year. Last year was a transition year, 'let's see how we do', and it was very good.

"With the possibility of all these players coming in now, Chelsea needs to aim top two, if not winning the league.

"How ambitious he (Lampard) is, I think he would prefer this, I think he would prefer players coming in and going for the big possibilities. "I don't think he wanted to be at Chelsea just playing with young kids and being allowed not to win trophies.

"I think Frank wants to win trophies and these kinds of players will give him the chance to get closer."

Thiago Silva is available on a free transfer - having left Paris Saint-Germain after captaining them in Sunday's 1-0 Champions League final defeat.

The Brazilian is 35 now but Poyet thinks an older head will fit in well with what is likely to remain a youthful side.

"I think he is top," Poyet added. "I know he's 35, I think you need experience.

"The teams that, as a club they have a strategy to go with young people, they (also) try to keep a line of experience, the goal keeper, one of the centre halves, one of the midfielders and the striker.

"They don't go young everywhere, so that helps you to make the others more comfortable."

Chelsea close to agreeing Havertz, Chilwell and Thiago Silva deals

Chelsea are close to agreeing deals to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Kai Havertz, Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell and former Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva.

Havertz has received interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe but is now set to move to Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea close to concluding a deal with Leverkusen that could be worth up to £90m.

The Blues are also likely to add Chilwell to their ranks, with talks between them and Leicester continuing on Monday.

The England international is understood to be keen on the move and a source has told Sky Sports News that the deal is "almost there".



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