Derby County are considering approaching John Terry to take over as the club's manager, if his former Chelsea teammate Frank Lampard departs, The Daily Mail have reported.
According to ESPN, Chelsea are set to offer Lampard a three year deal to take charge at Stamford Bridge, following the departure of Maurizio Sarri, after it was confirmed over the weekend that the Italian is returning to his home country to take charge of Juventus.
Lampard enjoyed an impressive first season in charge of Derby, guiding The Rams to the Championship play-off final where they ultimately missed out on promotion to the Premier League following a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, and it is someone who was in the opposing dugout who they could now target to replace Lampard if he returns to Chelsea.
It is thought that Terry, who has spent the season as a coach at Villa having ended his playing career at the club at the end of the 17/18 season, could be an option to take over at Pride Park.
Like Lampard, Terry would have strong connections to Chelsea, having made 717 appearances in all competitions for the club between 1998 and 2017, earning the moniker 'captain, leader, legend' during his time at the club.
Charlton manager Lee Bowyer had also reportedly been a target for Derby to replace Lampard, but with The Addicks boss now having signed a new deal at The Valley, that could push Derby closer to a move for Terry should Lampard chose to leave Pride Park in the summer.
The Verdict
This could be a very smart appointment from Derby.
Terry has been credited with helping to improve Villa's defensive organisation by a number of their players, so he could well do the same at Derby, with the fact that he is only recently out of the game potentially helping him to establish a connection with his squad.
Like Lampard, Terry's connection with Chelsea could help them in the loan market as it did last season with the likes of Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori, particularly if it is Terry's former club and international teammate in charge at Stamford Bridge.