Frank Lampard has been lined up to make a shock return to management.
The Chelsea legend has been out of work since leaving his role as Blues interim manager at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Prior to that, he had a year-long spell at Everton between 2022 and 2023, keeping them in the Premier League.
That was his first job since taking over as permanent Chelsea manager in the summer of 2019, with Lampard lasting 18 months in his first spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Since his most recent stint came to an end, Lampard has appeared regularly as a pundit on BBC and Sky Sports, and was in the studio for Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United on Sunday.
Now, Lampard has been lined up to step back into management at a club not many would have expected.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the 46-year-old has emerged as a candidate to replace Ivan Juric at Serie A club Roma.
They are owned by the Friedkin Group – who are in advanced talks to take over Everton – and it is claimed that unnamed figures close to Everton have recommended Lampard as a potential appointment.
Juric is Roma’s third manager in 10 months, as they sacked Jose Mourinho in January before then parting company with former player Daniele de Rossi after a poor start to the current Serie A season.
The Croatian hasn’t enjoyed a strong start at Stadio Olimpico either, losing four of his first 10 games in charge.
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But Gazzetta claim there are other names in the frame – and each has at least a tentative link to English football.
Roberto Mancini, who was recently sacked as manager of Saudi Arabia following a reported disagreement with players, is said to have been contacted.
And the former Manchester City manager is not the only ex-Premier League boss to be contacted, with Leicester’s title-winning coach Claudio Ranieri also said to be a possible appointment.
And the third name on the list is ex-Swansea boss Paulo Sousa, who has had something of a journeyman career in Europe and across the world managing the likes of Fiorentina, Basel, Maccabi Tel Aviv and even the Poland national team.
The Portuguese is currently in charge of Shabab Al Ahli in the UAE Pro League.
But Lampard’s name is said to have ‘gained traction’ in internal discussions over recent days, although it is added that a final decision over the managerial position is yet to be made.Featured Image Credit: Getty
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