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Frank Lampard has refused to rule out Chelsea making a move for wantaway Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani .
Uruguay international Cavani has handed in an official transfer request, with Atletico Madrid waiting in the wings to recruit the 32-year-old.
Chelsea are able to make January signings after their two-window FIFA transfer ban was lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and Lampard has not dampened down any links to Cavani.
Asked whether he had any interest in the player, Lampard said: “He’s a great player; I played against him and I always loved his mentality and attitude, and obviously his goalscoring record speaks for itself.
“I’m not absolutely aware of what the situation is, so we’ll see. He’s an experienced player, but so are many other players out there.
How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on?Show all 51 1 /51How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? We take a look at how 50 of the Premier League's summer exits are getting on at their new clubs this season.
How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal to Juventus) Still yet to nail down a first-team place under Maurizio Sarri at Juventus, although enjoyed an impressive Serie A debut against Verona, in which he scored his first goal for the club.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal to Bordeaux) Already a regular in one of Ligue 1’s more impressive defences.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Nacho Monreal (Arsenal to Real Sociedad) Has enjoyed a positive start to his Sociedad career and even managed a rare goal on his debut – scoring a tap-in in a 2-0 win against Atletico Madrid.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Arsenal to Roma) Roma paid £3m to sign Mkhitaryan on loan and the Armenia international has impressed when out on the pitch – scoring 3 goals in 7 Serie A outings. But – just like at Arsenal – he has struggled with injuries, recently being ruled out with a thigh injury.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Steven Defour (Burnley to Antwerp) The Belgian joined Antwerp after his Burnley contract was cancelled for ‘personal reasons’. Started the season playing regularly for his new side but has since fallen down the pecking order.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Eden Hazard (Chelsea to Real Madrid) Signed for Real Madrid for £89m but has endured an injury-plagued start to his time in Spain, scoring just one La Liga goal. Was recently left at home while his team-mates play in the revamped Spanish Super Cup to avoid another injury setback.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Ola Aina (Chelsea to Torino) The 23-year-old has impressed playing at the back for Walter Mazzarri’s men, having broken into the Italian side’s first-team while on loan from Chelsea last season.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Victor Moses (Chelsea to Fenerbache) It has not been a great season for the Premier League title winner. Moses picked up a muscle injury on the first day of the season, against Gaziantep FK, and recently suffered a recurrence of the same problem. He has now returned to England for rehabilitation.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Alvaro Morata (Chelsea to Atletico Madrid) It has been another tough season for Morata. The 27-year-old has scored just 9 goals in 21 matches in all competitions for Atletico, who have scored the second fewest number of goals of any side in La Liga’s top half. The Spaniard meanwhile insisted recently that he “wasn’t bothered” by the prospect of Atletico signing a new striker in the winter.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Charly Musonda (Chelsea to Vitesse) Musonda was ruled out for the season when he suffered yet another knee injury while on loan at Vitesse Arnhem.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Ethan Ampadu (Chelsea to Leipzig) The Chelsea youngster has played more for Wales than Leipzig but with no plans to cut short his loan it looks like a potentially lost year for the 19-year-old.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Davide Zappacosta (Chelsea to Roma) Another Chelsea loanee who has found first-team football hard to come by. A move elsewhere may beckon.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Tiemoue Bakayoko (Chelsea to Monaco) An embarrassing episode where he forgot his own shirt number aside, the return to Ligue 1 has been a good one with Bakayoko a virtual ever-present for Monaco.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Baba Rahman (Chelsea to Mallorca) Believe it or not he’s still on Chelsea’s books but it has been another year to forget, this time at Mallorca.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Kenedy (Chelsea to Getafe) A better run of form of late has seen the Brazilian get more football. He’ll be looking to add to his two goals and four assists after the winter break.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Jason Puncheon (Crystal Palace to Pafos) Heralded as the club’s “greatest transfer” Puncheon has made 13 appearances but is yet to score.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Alexander Sorloth (Crystal Palace to Trabzonspor) Life away from Crystal Palace is suiting the Norwegian with 12 goals in 17 league games a fine return so far.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Jonjoe Kenny (Everton to Schalke) The Everton youngster has become a fixture for Schalke already making the right-back position his own since his summer arrival in Gelsenkirchen.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Sandro Ramirez (Everton to Real Sociedad) Spanish striker has scored just one goal but has retained his place in Valldolid's starting eleven while on loan from Everton.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Yannick Bolasie (Everton to Sporting) The injury-hit winger has restarted his career in Portugal and established himself as a regular with Sporting, helping the club qualify for the Europa League knockout stages.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Ademola Lookman (Everton to RB Leipzig) The former Everton winger joined Leipzig last summer, but has desperately lacked game time, making just three Bundesliga appearances all season, while the club top the league. He has been linked with a loan move to Newcastle.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton to PSG) The defensive midfielder has enjoyed a terrific start to life with the French champions after joining from Everton in the summer for £29m. Immediately established himself as a regular starter before recently suffering a hamstring injury.
Icon Sport via Getty Images
How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Islam Slimani (Leicester to Monaco) Has revived his career after a torrid spell in England and enjoyed a fruitful spell at Monaco despite the club's struggles. The Algerian has scored six goals and added seven assists in Ligue 1 this season.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Adrien Silva (Leicester to Monaco) Midfielder has featured in all but three of Monaco's Ligue 1 games since leaving Leicester.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool to Trabzonspor) Former England international is enjoying a twilight season in Turkey, scoring four goals and adding four assists in nine games, leading to links over a potential loan move this month.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Alberto Moreno (Liverpool to Villarreal) Moreno has struggled with ankle and calf injuries since returning to La Liga and has only made four appearances, but the full-back returned to fitness after the winter break.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Simon Mignolet (Liverpool to Club Brugge) The goalkeeper is enjoying a great season since returning to his homeland, keeping 16 clean sheets in 30 appearances for the Belgian league leaders.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Vincent Kompany (Manchester City to Anderlecht) Returned to his former club as player-manager but stepped down after the Belgian giants suffered their worst start to a league season since 1998/99, with two defeats and two draws. The centre-half now captains the side.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Danilo (Manchester City to Juventus) Deputises as second choice right-back to Juan Cuadrado but has performed well for the Italian champions when called on, opening the scoring on his debut in the 4-3 win over Napoli last August.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City to Valencia) The Frenchman has hardly featured for Valencia since joining them on a two-year deal, making only three appearances and rarely making the match day squad.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Ander Herrera (Manchester United to PSG) The midfielder is yet to score for the French champions and has only made 12 appearances thanks to a succession of injuries this season.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Antonio Valencia (Manchester United to L.D.U. Quito) Won the Copa Ecuador in November but the 34-year-old is reportedly set on returning to England - he also considered a move to David Beckham's MLS side Inter Miami last year but a deal did not come about.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United to Inter Milan) The Belgian is enjoying a sensational campaign, scoring 16 goals and assisting three times in 23 league and Champions League appearances and firing Inter to the top of Serie A.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Matteo Darmian (Manchester United to Parma) Provided an assist on his return to Italy and has proved a shrewd acquisition, helping Parma reach seventh in Serie A.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Alexis Sanchez (Manchester United to Inter Milan) The Chilean forward scored his first Inter goal against Sampdoria last September but picked up a second yellow card in the same match for diving - he has hardly appeared for the Italian giants since then after picking up an ankle injury while on international duty.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Chris Smalling (Manchester United to Roma) The centre-back has enjoyed a great first-half to the season in the Italian capital and has scored two goals, but most recently conceded a penalty for a bizarre handball as Roma lost 2-0 at home to Torino.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Mohamed Diame (Newcastle to Al-Ahli) The Senegalese midfielder was released by Newcastle United at the end of last season and moved to the Qatar Stars League, where he plays for mid-table Doha-based side Al Ahli.
Action Images via Reuters
How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Lucas Perez (West Ham to Deportivo) The Spanish striker has scored eight La Liga goals this season and, in November, became the first player in the history of the competition to score in seven consecutive matches for two different clubs, as he also scored in seven consecutive matches for Deportivo de La Coruna in 2015.
Icon Sport via Getty Images
How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Jordy Clasie (Southampton to AZ) The 28-year-old moved from Southmapton back to the Dutch Eridivise last July, where he plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for AZ Alkmaar and has helped guide them to second in the league.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Mohamed Elyounoussi (Southampton to Celtic) The Norway forward picked up seven goals and six assists in 13 appearances after joining the Scottish champions on loan from Southampton, but he has been out with a foot injury since November.
Action Images via Reuters
How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Kieran Trippier (Tottenham to Atletico Madrid) The England full-back assisted on his debut in Spain and has become a mainstay in Diego Simeone's side, though he unusually took a penalty in Atletico's Champions League tie with Lokomotiv Moscow and missed.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Vincent Janssen (Tottenham to Monterrey) The Dutch forward has scored 10 goals for the Mexican club and helped guide them to Liga MX Apertura victory last month, though he did not feature at the Club World Cup.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Georges-Kévin Nkoudou (Tottenham to Besiktas) The 24-year-old has scored twice in the Super Lig but has struggled with thigh strains this season since joining the Turkish giants from Tottenham Hotspur in August.
How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Marcus Edwards (Tottenham to Vitoria) The Spurs academy graduate joined Vitoria last September and his two league goals and four assists from the wing have helped guide the Portuguese club to fifth in the Portuguese Liga NOS.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Edimilson Fernandes (West Ham to Mainz 05) The Swiss midfielder joined Mainz 05 from West Ham United in July and has been a regular starter for the Bundesliga club, though he is yet to score his first goal in Germany.
How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Marko Arnautovic (West Ham to Shanghai SIPG) The Austrian scored on his debut in the Chinese Super League and has gone on to score 9 goals in 11 appearances, including a four-goal haul in the final match of the 2019 season as Shanghai SIPG finished third in the league.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Pedro Obiang (West Ham to Sassuolo) The Equatorial Guinea defensive midfielder has been a regular for Serie A mid-table side Sassuolo this season and scored his first goal for the club on Sunday.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Reece Oxford (West Ham to Augsburg) The 21-year-old Englishman has only made eight appearances since joining Augsburg last August and has not featured for the Bundesliga club since 3 November.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Javier Hernandez (West Ham to Sevilla) The Mexico forward scored a sensational free kick - the first of his career - to open his Sevilla account in September but he has only scored three goals for the Spanish club this season.
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How are Premier League's summer transfers getting on? Javier Hernandez (West Ham to Anderlecht) Nasri was reunited with former Manchester City team mate Vincent Kompany in July and has scored two goals since joining Anderlecht - but the Frenchman has been out with a hamstring injury since October.
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“I think we are young, and we know about the transitions. The idea of bringing in experience is something I’m certainly not absolutely looking away from. Because sometimes the young players need a little bit of help, and if that’s the case then that may help us.”
Sporting director Leonardo confirmed Cavani’s transfer request on Sunday, with the 116-cap forward’s availability likely to spark a transfer scramble across Europe.
Cavani has struck just three goals in 13 appearances in all competitions for PSG, but his pedigree and experience could offer Chelsea a strong alternative to in-form England striker Tammy Abraham.
Chelsea bossed possession and territory at Newcastle but ended up losing 1-0 in Saturday’s Premier League clash, leaving Lampard again frustrated by his side’s lacklustre finishing.
But the former England midfielder insisted drawing another blank in front of goal does not quicken the Blues’ need for new recruits.
Edinson Cavani has handed in a transfer request (Getty) “I don’t think Newcastle hastens anything, it’s just we couldn’t do any business in the summer window,” said Lampard. “At this point it’s something we’ve seen as a bit of a problem in our home games.
“So we’ve got to work hard with the group here, and then if we can improve in terms of goal scoring it’s for sure something we have to look at.”
Victor Moses is understood to be closing in on a loan switch to Inter Milan after returning from a temporary stint at Fenerbahce, and Lampard admitted the winger could well be on his way out of Stamford Bridge again.
“On Victor Moses, he’s obviously coming back from his loan with a view to going elsewhere, and those talks are ongoing as well,” said Lampard.
Frank Lampard has repeatedly claimed he wants to sign a new striker (Reuters) Reece James is a doubt for Tuesday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge after sustaining a knee problem at Newcastle. But Lampard revealed the young full-back has avoided any serious injury.
“He’s got an injury to the back of his knee area, but it’s not as bad as it could have been or we maybe first thought,” said Lampard.
“He’s in contention for tomorrow but it will be a tight call to see how it settles down in the next 24 hours.”
Asked if he had feared the worst when James picked up the issue at St James’ Park, Lampard added: “Yeah, a little bit, because he had injuries at the start of the season. But now it seems it’s not as bad as it could have been.
“I won’t absolutely count my chickens but hopefully he’ll be okay for tomorrow, and if not, then the weekend.”
PA
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