Frank Lampard insists that Fikayo Tomori has a long-term future at the club, despite the expectation that the 23-year-old will depart on loan this January. The 23-year-old has hardly featured so far this season, slipping to fifth choice in the centre-back pecking order and making just one league appearance. Now expected to leave on loan in search of more regular gametime, Lampard confirmed that Tomori is a part of his plans at Chelsea. “He absolutely has a long-term future,” when asked about Tomori’s prospect in his press conference on Thursday.
Frank Lampard said “We will see if and when he goes out on loan. The moment I got close with Fikayo is when I took him on loan to Derby and he was player of the year there and one of the best players in the Championship that year. He came back last year, played 20 plus games for us and then got in the England squad. There is a long-term plan for Fikayo in my head about his career here. And if he goes out on loan it will be to enhance his personal development, hopefully help the team he goes to, and come back as a better player.”