Former Chelsea midfielder Jiri Jarosik has told Frank Lampard he needs to make multiple signings this summer and bring in some experienced players to compete with the elite of the Premier League.
Lampard has placed a lot of faith in young players in his first season in charge of the Blues, with the likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Reece James and Fikayo Tomori all playing regularly in the first team.
It has been a successful ploy from the new boss, with Chelsea fourth in the Premier League and well placed to make next season’s Champions League, despite the transfer ban last summer and not making any signings in January.
However, former Blues man Jarosik feels that Lampard will need to add experience to his squad as young players create inconsistency.
‘Going from Derby to Chelsea is a different pressure,’ Jarosik told Goal. ‘Chelsea is a phenomenon now and one of the biggest clubs in the world so this job won’t be easy.
‘From the start he was in a difficult situation without being able to bring in players. They have gone with a young team. If they want to compete for the title, I think they need some players with more experience because the Premier League is very difficult.
‘They have become inconsistent which is something that comes with youth and the quality of the league. A lot of guys have come [back] from smaller clubs on loan to Chelsea. I think Chelsea will scout well ahead of the transfer window having not signed anyone yet.’
Lampard has already secured his first signing of the summer, with Hakim Ziyech arriving from Ajax.
The 27-year-old has won silverware in the Netherlands and has plenty of Champions League experience but will be playing in England for the first time and Jarosik feels Chelsea will need more than just the Morocco international.
‘I think they need more than one player in Hakim Ziyech because they need a bench that can help them compete for a title too,’ said the Czech. ‘They need to be stronger to win the biggest games.’
Jarosik was one of the more obscure signings of Jose Mourinho’s first spell in charge of Chelsea, buying the midfielder for around £3m from CSKA Moscow in January 2005.
The 6’5″ giant would make 14 league appearances that season, lifting the Premier League title and League Cup, before spending the next season on loan at Birmingham and never playing for Chelsea again.
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