Frank Lampard Admits Timo Werner & Hakim Ziyech Signings Put Him Under Pressure

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has confessed that adding marquee signings Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech to his squad for next season has ramped up the pressure on him to deliver.

The Blues agreed a £37m deal to sign Ziyech back in February and followed that up with a £47.5m move for Werner earlier this month, while the club are still working to add to that. Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz and Leicester City's Ben Chilwell have both been touted as expensive options, with Chelsea apparently one of few clubs with spending power in this year's transfer market.

Ziyech and Werner are Lampard's first signings as Chelsea boss, and he confessed (via The Telegraph) that he is now under pressure to justify spending that kind of money on his squad.

“Yeah it probably does [increase the pressure] and I can get that," he admitted. “There’s pressure in this job, the Chelsea job, whatever.

"There will be expectations to whatever degree, we’re a well supported and well followed club, and the scrutiny is big, as we know. I don’t mind the idea. I get it. We’re trying to improve and I’m under no illusions and I want us to improve, first and foremost, so I don’t mind that pressure. I will have more pressure on myself.

“Of course, bringing in players that we feel are improvements, we have to go and show that, so that will be up to the individuals themselves and that will be my job as well. So, if the pressure ramps up that’s fair enough."

Lampard has regularly spoken of his wish to see Chelsea bridge the gap which has been created by Liverpool and Manchester City, and he added that all spending is designed to help the Blues reach that goal.

“We do know there is a big gap going upwards, when you look at the performance of Liverpool and Manchester City in the last couple of years," he said. "So we need to really try to work to close that gap and we have to be ready to give the players that come in some time for adaptation to the League.

"Hopefully, it’s not that much, we really believe in their qualities. But, yeah, we want to be working forwards to closing that gap above us.”

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