Chelsea sack Frank Lampard: The training clashes and complaints of favouritism – Paper Round

Chelsea will likely only have to pay Frank Lampard £2m in severance, reports the Telegraph’s Matt Law, who first broke the news Lampard would be sacked on Monday. In Law’s piece detailing the fallout at Stamford Bridge, it claims the fact Lampard signed a two-year contract with an option of a further year means the club will only have to pay six months of wages, around £2m, in severance. Law also noted that, this season, Lampard was forced to deal with clashes between captain Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground, the fact they were unable to sell unhappy duo Marcos Alonso and Jorginho – a pair Lampard would have willingly got rid of – while there were some disgruntled players who felt there was favouritism with regards to academy players being favoured ahead of them.

Paper Round’s view: Ultimately, as Matt Law states, it was a lack of confidence running through the squad which saw Roman Abramovich fire his latest manager, proving even club legend Lampard is not immune to the Russian’s high standards. Abramovich has fired Chelsea managers for less, even after delivering trophies, but this still came as a surprise for many. The summer of spending was arguably Lampard's biggest downfall, what hand he had in choosing those who arrived is unknown to most outsiders, but his inability to make them click and get them through their first dip as a squad has, absurdly, cost him his job.

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Multiple reports claim Thomas Tuchel will be announced as Chelsea’s new manager on an initial 18-month deal on Tuesday, with the plan to have the former PSG and Borussia Dortmund boss present at their home Premier League game against Wolves on Wednesday. Quarantine rules could restrict what Tuchel is able to do upon arriving from Germany, but once settled and in charge he will be tasked with turning around the club’s fortunes and getting the best out of German duo Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.

Paper Round’s view: It feels like a big risk to take on Tuchel, who has been described as “difficult” by Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke. Heading to a club whose owner is notoriously trigger-happy, as last seen on Monday, it is perhaps a testament to Tuchel’s character that he is willing to take this poisoned chalice, but as has been referenced elsewhere it is very difficult to see this union lasting anything more than a couple of years, for he who holds the chalice must also deliver cups and trophies or suffer the same fate as his predecessors – and even then winning trophies sometimes isn’t enough.

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Paris Saint-Germain will offer Julian Draxler to Arsenal in their bid to land midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, the Daily Mail reports. Arsenal have been linked with Draxler in the past, and with Borussia Dortmund insisting Julian Brandt will not be sold, the Gunners could be tempted by the exchange which would see Guendouzi return to PSG after spending years there at their academy. Guendouzi is currently on a season-long loan at Hertha Berlin in Germany after being frozen out by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

Paper Round’s view: Draxler to Arsenal, a transfer gossip classic, but with Arsenal on the verge of loaning Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid are they really going to sign the 27-year-old as well? Despite actively seeking creative players it seems unlikely they will add two to their ranks in January to provide competition for Emile Smith Rowe.

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Liverpool are hopeful of signing Derby County teenager Kaide Gordon, according to the Liverpool Echo, with the paper claiming the 16-year-old could cost the Premier League champions an initial £1m, which could rise to around £3m. Having drawn comparisons to Mohamed Salah and Mason Greenwood, much is expected of the England U16s international, who was named Derby’s Academy Player of the Year last season and has also been the subject of interest from Tottenham and Manchester United.

Paper Round’s view: Likened to Salah and Greenwood - at 16. No one needs that.