Frank Lampard has confirmed Chelsea will make full use of the January window for the club to gain further strength in light of the lifting of the transfer ban. The Blues intend to replace the slot vacated by striker Eden Hazard, who moved to Real Madrid last summer.
On this end, Lampard is said to be eyeing a move on English sensation Jadon Sancho, who reports said would want en exit from Bundesliga. Sancho transferring to the Premier League will not be cheap for Chelsea as the teenager's current team, Borussia Dortmund, will likely demand no less than £100 million.
However, money seems not a problem for Lampard. According to The Guardian, Chelsea has cleared a recruitment budget of £150 million for the Blues manager to spend so landing Sancho in the new year is not a remote possibility.
If Chelsea makes the bid, it will be the highest so far for the English club, but the investment to be made on the young striker will be all worth it.
Metro said Sancho is perfect for the Blues brand of football, adding: "The 19-year-old would certainly fit the mold of a player capable of scoring and creating goals playing in the three behind a central striker."
The move on Sancho leading to success will fill the void created by the exit of Hazard, who has registered 110 goals for Chelsea before making his way to Santiago Bernabeu. Lampard admitted the Blues lost significant goal possibilities with Hazard's departure.
"It is quite clear in the summer we lost Eden Hazard, who has been a huge part of scoring and creating for us in the last few seasons. We need more competition in those creative areas," BBC reported the Blues manager as saying.
For the upcoming transfer window, Chelsea will look at ways to plug the identified weaknesses of the club, as the tendency to concede points to the opposing team. This indicates that apart from goal scorers, Lampard will be on the lookout for defenders.
One target that Chelsea is considering is Bournemouth defender Nathan Aké. The Guardian said the club would make an offer to Aké, to the tune of £40 million.
The focus, however, will be on players able to generate more scores for Chelsea, which Lampard said should make the team even more competitive.
"At the moment we are just not converting enough chances but we are a work in progress," Lampard explained.
Chelsea's recruitment plans came into light following the club's advancement into the last 16 of the Champions League.
