KEY POINTS

  • Lampard says Kepa staying with Chelsea
  • No word on whether Kepa will be starting goalkeeper again
  • Lampard drawing heat with Kepa axing

Frank Lampard is trying to make a good impression managing Chelsea FC but the route towards doing that includes crossing some lines. That includes passing off on the team's star players, particularly the ones carrying a hefty paycheck. The hot topic as of late is Kepa Arrzabalag.

The world's most expensive goalkeeper is in the doghouse, a move that has drawn mixed reactions. Some feel that the 25-year-old deserves it because of his poor play while others believe that it is a waste of money. For Lampard, winning games is a priority and fitting in players to the mix is next.

In the case of Kepa, he still feels that the Spanish football player has a place with the Blues. However, he needs to own up to his mistakes and prove himself, AFP reported. That includes crucial ones against Newcastle and Arsenal, something that did not sit well with Lampard.

"All I am focusing on is game by game now to get the best finish to the season that we possibly can," Lampard said.

But in a previous post, Lampard praised Kepa's attitude. The 25-year-old has been training hard, working on his game to prove he deserves his starting goalkeeping job back. In fact, the Blues boss even said that both had lots of conversations then, hinting that Kepa could be back on track and be Chelsea's starting goalkeeper once more.

Unfortunately, the latest report is that there is a broken verbal disagreement to keep him as the team's first-choice keeper. With Lampard sticking to Willy Caballero, Kepa is now allegedly questioning his future with the squad for Euro 2020.

Hence, suggestions of Kepa heading to Stamford Bridge have cropped up but Lampard immediately shot these down. He says that the Spanish goalie could still crack the starting lineup but will apparently need to prove it. Now, Lampard could be on thin ice not only with Kepa but also with top management.

Yahoo Sports pointed out how Chelsea's hierarchy was not happy with the move to ax Kepa, aware that his value could drop if the club were to sell him at some point. As far as Lampard's current relationship with Kepa, it appears things are not running smoothly.

"My relationship is fine. Between player and manager I have around 20 players or so to keep happy, I can't keep them all happy at the same time," he said.

Kepa Arrizabalaga
Kepa Arrizabalaga joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao for £72m. In this picture, Arrizabalaga warms up before the Russia 2018 World Cup Group B football match between Spain and Morocco at the Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad, June 25, 2018. OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images