DNBC NEWS
Frank Lampard has one Chelsea player ready to replace Willian and Pedro as deadline looms
By STUART BALLARD PUBLISHED: 05:30, Wed, Jun 17, 2020
Both Willian and Pedro are set to leave Chelsea on June 30 with their contracts expiring
Frank Lampard only has a matter of days to get Willian and Pedro to sign a short-term extension to complete the season with Chelsea, but he has already been making contingency plans should they leave on June 30. The Premier League campaign resumes this week after a three-month suspension due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Chelsea are one of several teams in a battle to finish in a Champions League position and Lampard will need all his best players available up until the end of the season.
Under normal circumstances, the season would have been finished by now with attention turning to the summer transfer window and players with expiring contracts would be focusing on securing a deal for their next club.
But the resumption of the Premier League coincides with the contract deadline for pending free agents, meaning clubs have had to try and agree short-term extensions for players to complete the full season.
But Chelsea are yet to agree terms with either Willian or Pedro and time is running out for the Blues to get a deal over the line.
Players have until June 23 to sign temporary contracts and if they fail to do so then they won't be able to play beyond June 30.
For Chelsea, that could come as a huge blow as Pedro and Willian would only be eligible to play in three of their remaining nine Premier League games.
However, according to the Telegraph, Lampard has already begun making plans should that scenario take place.