Frank Lampard's shock Chelsea return could be a transfer blow for Manchester United

This rollercoaster of a season has thrown us through yet another loop. One no one saw coming.

Frank Lampard, less than three months on from being sacked by Everton as they languished in the relegation zone, is returning to his former club Chelsea. He has agreed a deal in principle to return to Stamford Bridge on an interim basis until the end of the season.

It is yet another shock from Chelsea who will move on to their third manager of the campaign following the sackings of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter. Lampard himself has felt the woodcutter's swing as he was sacked by the club he enjoyed so much success with on the pitch in January 2021. He hasn't seemed to add much to his managerial approach in the two years since but will get another bite of the cherry as Todd Boehly continues his manic dictatorship. But how does this impact Manchester United?

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Chelsea are down in 11th place, 14 points off fourth, and so are not a fellow competitor for a spot in the top four. The two teams do still have to face each other but it won't be until late in May and if United have done their jobs then the match shouldn't have too much riding on it. But where Lampard's arrival could harm United is in the club's hunt for a quality midfielder in the summer.

Though an elite-level striker is United's top priority for the summer transfer window, Erik ten Hag would also like to add another top-quality midfielder to his ranks. First-choice duo Casemiro and Christian Eriksen have been a driving force behind the side's transformation but both have been absent for big chunks of the campaign and are aged north of 30.

Marcel Sabitzer has done a great job since he came in but the drop in quality when