Ashley Cole to Derby is a potential move that shows current Rams boss Frank Lampard has certainly learnt something from his time at Chelsea.

The Sun is reporting that the former Arsenal, Chelsea, Roma and England defender could make a shock move to the Championship club.

Chelsea have a plethora of great young players working hard and waiting patiently to make their way into the first-team at Stamford Bridge.

Lampard himself has benefitted from this stance with Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori moving to Pride Park on loan for the season.

But sooner or later, when the door remains shut, they are loaned out or leave.

That is a view that many in football have on the way the Premier League side operate.

Buying the finished article instead of using a player in their ranks that can do the same job for a fraction of the price.

And Lampard’s reported move for Cole is parallel to what he would see going on at the London club’s Cobham training ground.

Cole has been out of contract since his release from MLS outfit LA Galaxy. The former England international is 38-years-old. He has experience of the biggest leagues in Europe, and over in the states.

But is it a signing that will improve the Rams for the better or is it a signing, for now, that is for a short-term gain? I suggest it is the latter.

Why do Derby need Cole, a player that has been in steady decline since moving over to Los Angeles – they have a more than an adequate player on their books that could more than do the job Cole could do.

And he is off to Aberdeen on loan – see a theme, and how it is similar to Chelsea’s use of young players?

Lowe, 21, has moved back to the Scottish Premiership side on-loan for the remainder of the campaign.

Cole’s potential move to Derby will serve nothing more than a nostalgic ego trip for Lampard.

Jayden Bogle has been a star for the Rams this term, and he is just 18-year-old and has nailed down a place in the side – as he was given the opportunity.

Lowe hasn’t had that and with Scott Malone in the side too, his place could be under threat should Cole move to Pride Park.

Friendship should go out the window if he does sign but considering Lampard is still a managerial novice, this could well be a move that is not in the best interests of the team for the long-term.

Instead, a short-sighted approach could backfire – the amount of money that would go into the deal for six months or at most a year-and-a-half, could be better used on the youth or getting in a player that will be at the club for years to come and not mere months.

This potential transfer is not what is what Derby need but is more what Lampard wants.

Think bigger, Frank, and abandon this deal before it gets off the ground. Look to the future and what is really best for the football club.