Paul Merson believes should bring forward their managerial search and make an appointment now, while he has revealed his surprise that the Blues could sell ‘one of their best players’ this summer.
Chelsea’s owners have decided to wait until the summer to appoint ’s permanent replacement, having named as caretaker manager until the end of the season.
But Merson has urged Chelsea to ‘get the new manager in now’ as the Blues .
Chelsea’s season is effectively over after the , with the west London outfit 11th in the Premier League with seven games remaining.
Given the myriad of issues at Stamford Bridge, Merson is also surprised Chelsea appear to be open to offloading Mason Mount this summer.
The England midfielder, 24, is set to enter the final year of his contract at Chelsea and has attracted interest from a number of clubs.
‘They need to get the new manager in now. They need to sort this out now,’ Merson told .
‘This is no disrespect to Frank Lampard but they’ve got to choose their next manager and get them in.
‘Frank knows he’s only there for a short time anyway. He was there for the Champions League games and that’s over now. They need to get the manager in because he can then start trimming their squad.
‘That’s their problem at the moment. Their next transfer window is massive. They need a new centre-forward and then need to clear out some players.
‘But one of the players who’s supposed to be going is Mason Mount, he’s one of their best players. That can’t happen in my opinion.’
Chelsea have lost four games in a row since Lampard’s return but the former England midfielder says he is ‘hungry’ to end the season on a high.
Speaking after the Champions League exit, Lampard said: ‘You’re playing for Chelsea. So regardless, every game you play you have to give everything.
‘I won’t let anyone off the hook. I’ve been here now for only two weeks so I’m hungry.’
, .
,  and .
