Frank Lampard is on course to take charge at his former club Chelsea.

Current Blues chief Maurizio Sarri is set for a move to Turin to take charge of Juventus, and whilst that has not yet been confirmed – Stamford Bridge chiefs have been making plans for months.

Sarri’s future has been anything but certain, and despite an excellent end to the season which saw Chelsea finish in the top-six  and win the Europa League – the two look set to part company.

With that Chelsea have been looking at options, and in the last few months they have considered a host of names including Zinedine Zidane, before he rejoined Real Madrid, Ajax’s Erik Ten Hag and Wolves chief Nuno.

But Lampard’s name has always been in the mix, and his progress with Derby – which saw him take them to the Championship play-off Final – has not gone unnoticed.

The fact Lampard also has another Chelsea stalwart Jody Morris as his right-hand man as appeals as they have a ready made team who know the club from top to bottom, including the players given Morris’s experiences in the club’s youth set-up.

Sources close to Chelsea believe Lampard will be in place, once Sarri’s exit is ironed out – with Juventus and Chelsea yet to agree on terms.

But Bookmakers are near enough convinced, and Lampard is 1/4 with Coral to be appointed.

“Sarri is almost certainly going to be leaving now and it’s all shaping up like Frank Lampard is going to be returning to the Bridge. We make him overwhelmingly odds on in our book to take charge, at 1-4, and the homecoming could be very close indeed,” said Coral’s Harry Aitkenhead.

“Rafa Benitez has been linked with a move this morning and he is given odds of 5-1, whilst a lively outsider if Lampard decides he isn’t ready could be the current assistant Zola, another Chelsea legend,” added Aitkenhead.