Frank Lampard has been linked with a shock move back to the Premier League, according to a report from Football Insider.
The former Chelsea and Everton manager has been in charge at Coventry City since November 2024, taking over with the club hovering just above the drop zone and guiding them all the way to the play-offs. This season is off to an even better start, with Cov unbeaten through August and topping the Championship scoring charts.
Lampard’s managerial CV already includes three stints in the top flight, most notably a fourth-place finish with Chelsea in his debut campaign, but also tougher spells at Everton and during a brief return to Stamford Bridge as caretaker.
Football Insider claim intermediaries have already ‘sounded out’ Lampard as a potential successor to Graham Potter, who is under fire after a slow start to West Ham’s season. They write:
‘Football Insider exclusively revealed on 28 August that West Ham are exploring alternatives to Potter as they pave the way for his potential dismissal.’
Potter only arrived in January but has faced huge criticism after a poor start to the season. Before the Forest win, West Ham had lost their first three games in the league and cup, conceding 11 goals in the process.
The victory at the City Ground eased some pressure but did not heal the rift between supporters and the board. Chairman David Sullivan is believed to be exploring alternatives in case results slide again.
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The report Lampard has now emerged as a leading candidate. He remains focused on Coventry’s promotion push, yet is understood to be ambitious and keen for another chance in the Premier League.
A return to West Ham would also carry personal weight. Lampard came through the club’s academy before making the controversial switch to Chelsea in 2001, where he became a legend in west London rather than east.
His past with the Hammers divides opinion among fans, but his recent work at Coventry has rebuilt a reputation that took a dent at Everton and during his brief caretaker spell at Chelsea.
Mourinho has also been linked with the job after leaving Fenerbahce, but Lampard’s name is the one now firmly on the table should West Ham act.
Lampard has overseen 39 games with Coventry so far, winning nearly half and pushing their win rate close to 50 per cent. That compares favourably to his records at Everton and during his short caretaker stint at Chelsea, where results proved far harder to come by.
Whether he would trade a promotion challenge in the Championship for a rescue job in east London remains to be seen.