Coventry City: 3 exciting Premier League signings Frank Lampard could make in January | OneFootball

FLW explores three exciting Premier League loan additions which could be made by Frank Lampard at Coventry City in the January transfer window

Frank Lampard is in the running to succeed Mark Robins at Coventry City following the controversial dismissal of the hugely popular boss on Thursday morning.

Following a recent report published by The Mirror, which claimed that Lampard is expected to become the next permanent manager at the CBS Arena less than a week after Robins' exit, Tom Collomosse of Mail Sport has now reported via his X account that the former England midfielder is "in the frame" for the Coventry job.

According to Collomosse, the vacant job has received 60-70 applicants and it's not yet clear which direction Doug King is going to head in after parting ways with Robins, although Lampard certainly represents an intriguing potential candidate.

Lampard has been out of work for more than a year following a brief second spell in charge of Chelsea but could make a return to the second tier of English football for the first time since the 2018/19 campaign, where he guided Derby County to the play-off final.

During his time at Pride Park, Lampard utilised his pedigree and connections to strike agreements for a clutch of highly-talented young prospects from the Premier League, with Harry Wilson, Mason Mount, and Fikayo Tomori each orchestrating inspired roles in the side's promotion push that year.

Wilson and Mount in particular were both classes above the Championship at that moment in time, as their red-hot form in the East Midlands showcased the effectiveness of having a manager of Lampard's pedigree by being able to convince such gifted young players to drop down to the second-tier.

Should he be appointed by the Sky Blues then you would fancy Lampard to repeat his transfer exploits once again. With that in mind, Football League World has taken a look at three exciting loan additions from the Premier League that Lampard could make at Coventry in the January transfer window...

Harvey Vale

Just as he did at Derby some six years ago now, it would surely come as no surprise to see Lampard plot something of a raid on Cobham and the first of two Chelsea youngsters he could well target is Harvey Vale.

Vale, who was named as Chelsea's Academy Player of the Season in 2022, translated his quality to the senior game during a productive campaign with League One side Bristol Rovers last season. Despite having primarily made his name as a tricky goalscoring winger at Cobham, Vale was deployed as an all-action, left-sided wing-back with the Gas, offering an energetic and dynamic presence at both ends of the pitch.

You would be forgiven for expecting Vale to have sealed a loan move to the Championship during the summer, with his ability evidently above League One level. Chelsea have kept him on, although he's unsurprisingly nowhere near the first-team picture at Stamford Bridge and would benefit from continuing to test himself week in, and week out.

It would certainly be interesting to see where a player like Vale would fit in at Coventry, who have long deployed a 3-4-1-2 formation with one of Jay Dasilva or Jake Bidwell and Milan van Ewijk providing width either side of the midfield, but they'll likely change shape under Lampard.

Lampard typically prefers a 4-3-3, although that would allow Vale to push higher up the pitch and enjoy increased creative freedom in the final third, which could truly unlock his clear potential.

As a left-sided wing-back, of course, his quality is already proven and the 22-year-old would be an extremely shrewd fit however Lampard may decide to set Coventry up. Given his Cobham connections, this one feels like a no-brainer.

Andrew Omobamidele

It's no secret that Coventry have been lacking in the defensive department for quite some time, so recruiting a commanding central defender capable of slotting straight in already seems like a crucial call of duty for the next transfer window.

Andrew Omobamidele certainly represents both an intriguing and attainable proposition, and has tangible credit in the bank at Championship level from his time at Norwich City. Still only 22 years of age, the defender has already represented the Republic of Ireland at senior international level on ten occasions, although his failure to make the most recent squad is a damning indictment of how desperately he needs a temporary move away from Nottingham Forest.

Omobamidele joined the Reds in the summer of 2023 from Norwich in a reported £11 million deal, but it simply hasn't worked out for him at the City Ground just yet. A largely peripheral figure in the previous campaign, regular opportunities have proved even more difficult to come by this time around and he's played just once thus far across all competitions, having completed the full 90 minutes during a 1-1 EFL Cup draw at home to Newcastle United back in August.

Aerially commanding with excellent ball-playing qualities, which would be crucial under a manager who likes his teams to dominate possession, Omobamidele was hugely impressive for Norwich and a move back to the Championship appears the best bet for his career at this moment in time.

Omari Kellyman

Another highly-rated young prospect coming through at Chelsea, Omari Kellyman has been held in glowing regard for a long time but now needs to try his hand in the senior game, and what better environment to do so than being under the tutelage of one of Stamford Bridge's all-time greats?

Kellyman, who signed for Chelsea in a deal worth up to £19 million from Aston Villa in the summer transfer window, is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury and is still awaiting a first-team breakthrough in West London. The 19-year-old only managed to make two Premier League appearances for the Villains and it's clearly going to be some time before he seriously enforces himself at Chelsea.

He's a serious talent, though, and one could argue he already possesses the requisite skill set to make waves in the Championship. Standing at 6'2, the teenager boats an athletic, imposing physical frame for his age and uses it to his advantage. Kellyman is at his best when progressively carrying the ball forwards at opposition defenders, whom he can shield off physically and burn past with his speed, while he's excellent in tight spaces and is blessed with strong close control.

Tricky, athletic and direct, Kellyman is extremely gifted and would offer fresh dynamism to this Coventry side, especially in transition. Equally capable up top as he is at playing behind the striker in an attacking midfield or second striker role, the stiff competition at the top-end of the pitch at Coventry right now means that a starting berth could prove somewhat difficult to come by, with the likes of Ellis Simms, Haji Wright and Brandon Thomas-Asante all set to form important roles regardless of who the next manager is.

If it's Lampard, though, which it's certainly looking like it's going to be, then a deal for Kellyman would make a great deal of sense and, at the very least, he would present an eye-catching wildcard option to bring on from the bench and change games late on.