Frank Lampard believes coach Antonio Conte is not the only one at Chelsea keeping a very close eye on who the club are trying to buy right now.

As Conte continues to struggle to hide his frustration over what he perceives to be a lack of backing in the transfer market, Eden Hazard’s future at the club remains uncertain.

Contract talks have been put on hold until later in the season and it is understood Hazard is keeping his options open while a potential bid from Real Madrid remains a possibility.

The same can be said for his Belgium team-mate Thibaut Courtois, who is also coveted by the Liga giants.

Chelsea still intend to offer both players improved terms of around £300,000 a week and £200,000 a week respectively but Lampard says financial rewards will not be the only thing on their mind.

As the club’s all-time leading scorer told Standard Sport: “Chelsea have to show the ambition - if they want both of them to stay there, they have to keep adding to the squad in the right way.

“Great players such as Hazard and Courtois will always be looked at by Real Madrid, so to protect yourself you need to get them on long contracts.

“With the kind of money being spent elsewhere, Chelsea have to keep moving forward and recruiting new talent to play around them.

“The club can’t lose what they’ve got. Hazard is the main person there. He is 27 and a player of his ability has his prime years ahead of him. He will want to challenge for the Champions League but the club have to match that ambition as well.”

Lampard knows what kind of impact major acquisitions at Stamford Bridge can have. The England international played a key role in two successive Premier League titles, in 2005 and 2006, only to see Germany captain Michael Ballack arrive from Bayern Munich on what was considered a huge salary back then of £120,000 a week.

“When Chelsea signed Ballack, it pushed me on,” he added. “It was great we were bringing in a top player but I also knew I had to fight for my place.

“As a player you must concentrate on yourself first and foremost. But you want to see the club improving.”

It is fair to suggest the defending champions have not been pursing players of Ballack’s calibre during this month’s transfer window.

Supporters have been bemused by enquiries for West Ham’s Andy Carroll and Stoke veteran Peter Crouch.

There has been a more positive reaction to negotiations with Roma over Edin Dzeko. However, neither a fee nor terms have been agreed.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have succeeded in prising Alexis Sanchez out of Arsenal, albeit on a contract worth up to £500,000 a week.

“Carroll and Crouch are not the kind of names Chelsea have gone for in the past,” Lampard said. “But January is a tough one and Sanchez is a one-off.

“The majority of the time you’re looking at making minor adjustments If it’s a Crouch or Carroll, it’s just a back-up but Dzeko is something different.

In Pictures | Alexis Sanchez joins Manchester United | 22/01/2018 6 show all In Pictures | Alexis Sanchez joins Manchester United | 22/01/2018 1/6 Man Utd via Getty Images 2/6 Man Utd via Getty Images 3/6 Man Utd via Getty Images 4/6 Man Utd via Getty Images 5/6 Man Utd via Getty Images 6/6 Man Utd via Getty Images 1/6 Man Utd via Getty Images 2/6 Man Utd via Getty Images 3/6 Man Utd via Getty Images 4/6 Man Utd via Getty Images 5/6 Man Utd via Getty Images 6/6 Man Utd via Getty Images

“He is a very good player, an all-round striker with all the attributes. He can hold the ball up.

“In terms of investing heavily, that will come in the summer. It’s very easy to say that Crouch and Carroll are not Chelsea signings but it’s not an indication of where Chelsea are going.

“It is more a sign that the manager doesn’t think they strengthened enough last summer.”

Speculation over Conte’s future has only increased following his latest claim that he has no say on who the club buys, something the hierarchy deny.

Such an open display of dissent has only intensified the scrutiny after Chelsea’s EFL Cup defeat by Arsenal in midweek.

“There will be a concern this has gone public,” Lampard said. “But the biggest issue is the results and it always will be. If the results go negatively, which they have recently, it is a worry.

“Of course, you want harmony between the coach and the club’s board but sometimes it is not always that simple.

“Conte is frustrated and this is his way of getting it out there. In a way he has been proved right because the squad doesn’t look strong enough to compete on all fronts.

“I’m sure they will have a discussion about buys now, and then who knows what will happen in the summer?”

During his 13 years at Chelsea between 2001-2014, Lampard saw many periods of adversity overcome, none more so than in 2012 when the club ended the campaign with the FA Cup and Champions League.

Conte’s side are still involved in both competitions and Lampard is not ruling out the possibility of a repeat double triumph.

He said: “This is when the experienced players are vital - there is nothing wrong with getting everyone together and reminding everyone to push. That’s what we did in 2012.

“Chelsea do need to get their act together. They have the spirit there. They have the players. When Chelsea get it right, as we saw last season, they can take on anybody. It is certainly not the time to give up.”

Legends of Football is one of the football world’s most prestigious charity awards and this year is to induct England, Chelsea, West Ham, Manchester City and New York City legend Frank Lampard into its roll call of all time greats. Sponsored by HMV, Legends Of Football has raised over £7 million for music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins since its first event in 1997. The charity is dedicated to changing the lives of vulnerable and isolated people. It supports thousands of people through its centres and working in partnership with a wide range of organisations including care homes, schools and hospitals. Music therapy can be used to support people living with a wide range of needs. It can help a child with autism to communicate, unlock forgotten memories for those living with dementia or provide comfort for someone facing a terminal illness. Every year, one of the giants of the game is selected to receive an official stamp of greatness from the football world and Frank Lampard is joining the likes of John Charles, Sir Stanley Matthews, Brian Clough, Sir Bobby Robson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Kenny Dalglish, Alan Shearer, Eric Cantona and last year’s recipient Steven Gerrard. The event is on Monday 8th October and tickets are available from www.lofootball.co.uk