Frank Lampard says it is very unlikely Derby County will be signing Chelsea’s Ethan Ampadu on loan this month.
Wales international Ampadu is yet to feature for the Blues in the Premier League this season and there are several reports claiming he will be sent out on loan for the second half of the campaign to gain some valuable playing time.
Lampard was looking to use his Chelsea connections again to snap up the 18-year-old, having already signed Mason Mount on a season-long loan last summer, but the ex-midfielder looks set to fail in his pursuit.
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Speaking about the club’s January transfer plans, the Derby boss says a deal for Ampadu won’t be happening in what he expects to be a largely quiet month.
“We have asked, but I don’t think he’s leaving Chelsea,” he said. “He can play in a few positions, that’s why he would be so valuable to anybody and why he’s staying at Chelsea.
“People thought we did a lot of business in the summer, but our actual net spend was very negligible. I had to bring in personnel to try to change the style and that’s not a one-window solution, that’s probably two or three-windows. This window will be quiet for us.”