The next transfer window is going to be an important one for Chelsea and Frank Lampard.
After two periods of player deals inactivity - one of which was enforced - the Blues are set to re-enter the market in an effort to strengthen their squad ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.
The signing of Hakim Ziyech from Ajax was confirmed in February and several other big-money moves have been mooted.
However, any plans Chelsea may have put in place will have been affected by the financial fallout from the coronavirus crisis.
squad
Dries Mertens (Napoli)
Chelsea tried to sign the Belgian striker in January but were unable to strike a deal with Napoli. That will not be a problem come the summer with Mertens free to negotiate a move away from the Sadio San Paolo.
At 33, Mertens would not be a long-term investment, but his quality is undeniable and he could provide the clinical edge in the final third that Lampard’s side have lacked this term.
Mertens has scored 12 times in all competitions for Napoli this season and claimed a further three assists, according to WyScout.
In fact, he has been involved in a goal for the Partenopei every 128 minutes, an indication that he is not slowing down despite approaching his mid-thirties.
However, Chelsea would not have a clear run at Mertens. Reports in Italy claim Inter Milan are pursuing the forward, while Paris Saint-Germain are also thought to be keen admirers.
Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth)
After starring for Bournemouth during the 2018/19 campaign, the Scottish winger was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal.
However, a transfer didn’t come to fruition last summer and, by his own admission, it affected Fraser during the opening months of the current season.
"I wasn't myself, I didn't play for the team,” he told BBC Sport in January. “I'm honest enough to admit that.
"It just looked bad on me. I didn't help the team. It shouldn't have taken me that long to realise, but I'm my own worst critic and I apologised to the lads."
Fraser’s patchy form this term - he has just one goal and four assists in the Premier League - may put off some potential suitors, but when fully focused the 26-year-old has proven himself one of the division’s most influential wingers.
He struck seven times and claimed 14 assists in the top flight last season, involving himself in a Cherries goal every 151 minutes.
If he was able to recapture something close to that form, he could prove a bargain signing.
Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
Given the heated rivalry with Spurs, a move for the Belgian centre-back wouldn’t be an easy sell for Chelsea. But there is no doubt Vertonghen would bring valuable experience to Lampard’s defence.
The 33-year-old has spent eight years in north London and racked up more than 200 Premier League appearances in that time. He has also skippered Spurs on several occasions.
Given his age, Chelsea wouldn’t get many seasons of service from Vertonghen. But if they were prepared to break policy and offer him a two-year contract - something Tottenham are not willing to do - he could prove a shrewd signing.
Not only would Vertonghen be the left-footed centre-back the Blues have long been searching for, he could also help hone the games of Fikayo Tomori and Andreas Christensen.
Tanguy Kouassi (Paris Saint-Germain)
At the opposite end of the career spectrum to Vertonghen, the 17-year-old Kouassi has only made 13 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain.
Yet in that limited time, Kouassi has produced a number of impressive performances at centre-back, becoming the youngest player to score a brace in Ligue 1 for 44 years and attracting interest from Manchester City and RB Leipzig
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