Transfer gossip: Lampard wants Kepa out, reports say

A look at stories in Tuesday’s newspapers involving Chelsea…

Frank Lampard is at odds with the Chelsea hierarchy over the future of keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, reports say.

It comes after manager Lampard dropped Kepa for Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Leicester, having publicly criticised the Spaniard’s performances and made it clear he wanted to see an improvement.

Reports suggest Lampard wants Kepa sold in the summer but that the club are reluctant given the huge transfer fee – around £71m – paid when he was signed from Athletic Bilbao in 2018.

The Daily Mirror declare that “Lampard and the Chelsea board look set to clash” over the issue of Kepa’s future and that the Blues boss wants to bring in Burnley’s England goalkeeper Nick Pope to replace him.

The newspaper say Pope would be Lampard’s first-choice signing and that there is also interest in Crystal Palace keeper Vicente Guaita.

The Daily Express run a similar story, also declaring that Lampard wants Pope to replace Kepa at the end of the season.

The Express say “Chelsea’s board are reluctant to take a massive financial hit on Arrizabalaga” and that director Marina Granovskaia personally pushed the deal to sign him through when he joined on a seven-year contract.

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