Five ways Chelsea could line up to accommodate Dries Mertens including Lampard’s favourite 4-2-3-1 formation
CHELSEA are chasing a late January deal for Napoli star Dries Mertens.
It’s believed Frank Lampard has made a £4.7million bid for the Belgian forward ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline.
Mertens is out of contract this summer and Lamps believes he can help Chelsea find the goals needed to secure Champions League football for next season.
However, Mertens is apparently unsure over a Premier League switch this month as he looks to break Napoli’s goal-scoring record.
There is also interest from Inter Milan, who are prepared to wait until the summer to secure Mertens’ signature.
But Chelsea are sure to feel confident about their chances, with Mertens’ agent recently claiming the 32-year-old would love to try his luck in England.
Here, SunSport looks at five ways Lampard could include Mertens in his starting XI should the versatile striker end up at Stamford Bridge.
OPTION 1: 4-2-3-1
LAMPARD'S go-to formation could see Mertens slot in as a No 10 with Tammy Abraham continuing to lead the line as the main striker.
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Willian would be ideally suited for cutting inside to create space for Mertens and his magic feet.
Mateo Kovacic is also the better option ahead of Jorginho to partner N’Golo Kante in the fluid system.
OPTION 2: 4-3-3
BRINGING Jorginho in to beef up the midfield could see Mertens push forward into a False Nine role.
He scored 34 goals in just one season when Maurizio Sarri converted him from a winger into a central striker.
And Mertens’ clever positioning would set things up nicely for Christian Pulisic to start on the left wing, with the American proving adept at getting into the box before finishing with aplomb.
OPTION 3: 3-4-3
USED on multiple occasions under Lampard, this system could see Mertens move into a centre-left position with Abraham up top.
Eden Hazard played the role during Antonio Conte’s Premier League-winning campaign three years ago.
And with Marcos Alonso providing width next to him, Mertens would have unlimited freedom to drift in and around the penalty area.
OPTION 4: 4-3-1-2
THE diamond was used several times in pre-season and it could take Mertens’ arrival to force Lampard’s hand in competitive fixtures.
The Belgian is ideally suited to playing off a target man while also drifting into wide positions and taking on a playmaker role.
The narrow system could also bring out the best of tenacious youngster Mason Mount, who could do with a second central body ahead of him in the box.
OPTION 5: 4-4-2
UNLIKELY to be a starting formation but could certainly be used if Chelsea are chasing a goal.
Like the diamond, it would see Mertens alongside Abraham but with two wingers whipping in crosses from the flanks, allowing the forward to focus on passes of play through the middle.
He thrived in the same system under Carlo Ancelotti, with Lorenzo Insigne and Arkadiusz Milik used alongside him depending on the type of opponent.