Derby County will reportedly go head-to-head with fellow Championship side Aston Villa to sign Chelsea starlet Ethan Ampadu on loan during the January transfer window.
According to The Mirror, the 18-year-old remains a target for the Rams after they tried to sign him on loan in the summer.
Frank Lampard confirmed back in September that he asked Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri about taking the young centre-back on loan during the summer, but the Blues boss said no.
"I looked at him (Ampadu). I spoke to the (Chelsea) manager and he told me he wants him in their squad, so it was a very short conversation," said Lampard at the time.
"I was very impressed with Sarri. I think he is a great manager, great character. He was very nice to me about it.
"Quite rightly, he probably wants Ampadu as part of his squad. He is a fantastic talent.
"It was a question (we asked), and we have fully moved on."
Since then, Derby have been hit with a number of injuries, in particular in the defensive areas.
Left-back Craig Forsyth will likely miss the rest of the season after suffering a serious knee injury, as will skipper Curtis Davies after picking up an Achilles injury during the defeat to Stoke City last month.
So far this season, Ampadu has made two Europa League appearances for Chelsea, including the full 90 minutes in their recent 2-2 draw away at MOL Vidi on Thursday night.
