These stories are samples pulled from external media sources. They do not represent the views or position of Chelsea Football Club.

Lampard expects pressure to increase

Frank Lampard has admitted expectations will rise for his second season as Chelsea head coach after a busy summer recruitment drive which has brought a number of world-class players to Stamford Bridge, the Press Association reports.

With Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Kai Havertz arriving to bolster a talented squad which secured a top-four finish in the Premier League last season, Lampard knows more will be expected of him and his team in their forthcoming campaign.

‘I’m very aware that a club like Chelsea, even though we had a transfer ban, even though the year was difficult, expectations are going to go up hugely,’ said the Blues legend on the High Performance podcast.

‘And I just have to accept that as part of the job, and try and go about my job as well as I can.’

Lampard stressed it will be important for him to work together with everyone at the club to achieve his objectives for the season.

‘If I am having relationships, between managing up (to the board) or managing around me, I have to be as good as I can with those, because they’re really important,’ he added.

‘Because the tough times will come, and I’ll rely on those, all of those little ones. And it might not be managing up, that might be managing the kit man or a member of staff around you.

‘Because I’ve seen how the dominoes can fall very quickly. And I think if you isolate yourself as a manager, or you don’t want to open yourself up to all of those relationships along the way, I think they fall much quicker.’

Wilder promises to take care of Ampadu

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has made a pledge to Chelsea to watch over the development of Ethan Ampadu as a Premier League player after signing him on loan for the 2020/21 season, Yorkshire Live reports.

The Blades reportedly saw off interest from a number of other clubs to bring in the Wales international, who turns 20 next week, with Wilder expressing his delight at finally getting the deal done.

‘Ethan is an outstanding young player for Chelsea, and we’ve worked really hard to get his signature for this season,’ he said.

‘We need to thank Frank Lampard and Chelsea for helping making this happen. We’ve got a good relationship with them and they know we’re going to take good care of him.

‘It’s an important season for Ethan and playing in the Premier League for us is a good all-round move for everybody. He brings a lot of qualities to the group for a 19-year-old and he’s someone we’ve traced for two or three seasons.’

Thiago Silva sought Neymar’s advice on Chelsea move

According to The Telegraph, Neymar reportedly played a big part in Thiago Silva’s decision to join Chelsea on a free transfer this summer.

The report suggests the experienced defender sought the advice of his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate when he was considering his options as he came to the end of his contract with the French club.

In addition to receiving an offer to join the Blues, the 35-year-old was also being tracked closely by AC Milan, while PSG had tabled an offer of a new contract for the veteran centre-back.

However, Neymar was 'remarkably clear' and urged Silva to join Chelsea, advising he would later regret not taking up the challenge if he turned it down.

Another Brazilian star who spoke to Silva was former Blues star Willian, who reportedly replied jokingly: ‘If I'd known you were moving to Chelsea, I would have stayed there after all.’