Not Chelsea! The club Frank Lampard is most ‘likely to join’ named as England legend generates exit talk after ending 25-year Premier League exile at Coventry

Lampard has become a hero in the Midlands after leading Coventry City to the Championship title, securing 95 points and ending the club's 25-year exile from the top flight. However, despite the euphoria surrounding their promotion, veteran broadcaster Richard Keys has suggested that Lampard could be on the move before the new season begins. While a sentimental return to Stamford Bridge is often the subject of rumour, Keys believes a different west London club is the most probable destination.

The former Everton manager’s current deal is a major point of contention for the Sky Blues faithful. Lampard only has one year remaining on his contract, and with no extension agreed upon, predatory Premier League clubs are circling. Speaking on his personal blog, Keys dropped a bombshell regarding the manager's next step: "If Lampard leaves it’ll likely be for Fulham. I keep hearing his name linked with it."

The speculation regarding Craven Cottage stems from the uncertain future of Marco Silva. With Silva’s contract expiring and no fresh agreement in sight, Fulham may soon be in the market for a high-profile replacement. Lampard, who has rebuilt his managerial reputation by winning 44 of his 80 matches in charge at Coventry, is seen as a prime candidate to lead the Cottagers if Silva departs.

Keys, a lifelong Coventry supporter, expressed his concern over whether owner Doug King will provide the necessary financial backing to keep Lampard happy. "Does Frank Lampard stay at Coventry? I obviously hope so, but it’ll be dependent on how much owner Doug King wants to commit to a PL campaign," Keys wrote. "The model is likely to be to sign a few players on £40-45g/week with a promise they can go if we go down. Will that be enough? I think we’ve got some good players, but they’ll need help."

While the Fulham links have gained traction, Lampard has been quick to distance himself from the chaos at his former club, Chelsea. Despite the Blues' ongoing struggles under interim leadership, Lampard insisted that his focus is entirely on the trophy celebrations at Coventry rather than filling the shoes of the recently sacked Liam Rosenior.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Lampard was firm about his current professional boundaries: "Well I definitely don't want to talk about Liam and Chelsea because I've been there and I never want to talk too much about managers because of context behind the scenes, etc. I think it's disrespectful to have a judgement on it. That's for pundits to have a judgement. I'm Coventry manager, I'm enjoying my moment of us being promoted and winning the title, and that's it."

For Lampard to remain at Coventry, he has made it clear that the squad requires significant investment to bridge the gap between the two divisions. Pointing to the successes of Sunderland and Leeds, who are the first two teams since 2022-23 to secure top-tier safety after promotion, Lampard is aware that standing still is not an option. He has called for serious conversations with the board to ensure the squad is competitive enough for the rigours of the 2026-27 season.

"I understand there’s lots of conversations [to be had]," Lampard admitted. "The owner has been very keen on us all enjoying and celebrating in these last couple of weeks, and I agree with that, we can live in the moment.

"But the next job for the football club is ‘ok, what do we need to do?’ because we’ve risen quite quickly in these last 18 months. A lot of amazing groundwork by Mark Robins but the differences that are coming upon the football club now and the step is big so it has to be done well, so that will be the job."