Frank Lampard to Merge Chelsea First Team & Academy After Sealing Stamford Bridge Move

Frank Lampard's imminent move to Chelsea is inching ever closer and, once he gets the job, he is set to merge the club's academy and first team in an attempt to

Frank Lampard's imminent move to Chelsea is inching ever closer and, once he gets the job, he is set to merge the club's academy and first team in an attempt to improve the transition between the two.

The Derby County boss has long been expected to take over from Maurizio Sarri, with the Blues eager to finalise a deal before the beginning of pre-season.

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They appear set to get their wish as, according to the Daily Mail, Lampard finalised his move to Chelsea on Monday, with an official announcement expected by Wednesday at the latest.

Lampard is said to have penned a three-year contract worth around £4m per year, whilst there are also a number of bonuses which could see Lampard's earnings increased during his time at the club.

For example, if Chelsea seal Champions League qualification, Lampard will net himself an additional bonus which would see his overall earnings jump up closer to £5m.

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He is expected to be prepared to lead Chelsea when their pre-season kicks off on Friday, and The Telegraph add that he will oversee some drastic changes involving the club's academy.

One of his first moves as Chelsea manager will be to allow the club's academy stars to train with the first team, whilst he will also look to reshuffle the youth coaching schedule to ensure that he can go and watch as many sessions as possible.

This would be a drastic change from Sarri's reign, as the Italian did not watch a single academy session or Under-23 game during his time at Stamford Bridge.

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The hope is that Lampard and assistant Jody Morris, who spent numerous successful years leading Chelsea's academy, will be able to offer the club's youngsters a pathway to the first team which has long been missing.

Not since Andre Villas-Boas' time at the club has the academy mixed with the seniors, but Lampard's appointment is expected to end that divide as Chelsea hope to usher in a new era.

This optimism has already helped the Blues tie down exciting youngsters George McEachran and Juan Castillo to new contracts, and the hope is that it will do the same for Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has now entered the final year of his current deal.