Frank Lampard will meet Derby County bosses this afternoon.
The Rams are keen to discuss potential summer transfer targets and start to make plans for next season, according to Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett on Twitter.
Derby missed out on promotion to the Premier League on Monday after their 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the Championship Play-Off final at Wembley.
Nevertheless, Lampard’s first season as a manager was an impressive one and the Rams will face a huge battle to hold onto him in future amid likely interest from his former club Chelsea and other Premier League sides.
Derby fans will be desperate to hold onto the former England international but there is an air of inevitability that he will leave soon.
The second tier side need to go again next season and try and compete at the top end of the division. They will have to balance the books over the summer and reduce the wage bill.
Out-of-contract players like Bradley Johnson, David Nugent and Craig Bryson will depart, loan players Harry Wilson and Mason Mount will return to Liverpool and Chelsea respectively which will leave Lampard with a relatively bare squad.
Derby are keen on bringing defender Fikayo Tomori back on loan from Chelsea and have already signed versatile Scotland international Graeme Shinnie from Aberdeen, so there are some positives.
Another season in the Championship beckons for Derby but talks today between Lampard and the owners suggests it is not all doom and gloom at Pride Park.
