Coventry line up to sign their new Maddison

Frank Lampard will be aiming to prove himself as a Premier League manager next season as his Coventry City side try to adapt to the difficult waters of the top flight.

Indeed, in the past, Lampard did not have a brilliant reputation in the top flight, winning just 38 of 104 games in the top flight, when he was in charge of Chelsea and Everton respectively.

However, even his most outspoken doubters will be praising the 47-year-old, as he guided the Sky Blues to the Championship title one way or another, winning 46 while his Coventry side scored an incredible 97 goals.

He will need support in the transfer market to ensure the Sky Blues don't just return to the EFL, and Ipswich Town are also hungry for some replacements at the door, no doubt, having been automatically promoted alongside Lampard and Co.

Coventry are in talks to sign the Liverpool midfielder

Already, the rumor mill has produced exciting names when it comes to who Coventry and Ipswich could target in the Premier League.

The newly-crowned champions are tipped to make moves for the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum and Abdul Fatawu, as both the former Liverpool midfielder and axed Leicester City target return to England's top flight.

Both Coventry and Ipswich, based on their newly-promoted status alone, appear to be interested in the same players, with Tottenham Hotspur youngster Will Lankshear reportedly on both their radars, alongside AZ Alkmaar mark Troy Parrott.

Lampard's men have even been tipped as keen on Harvey Elliott's services this summer, with the price required to land the two-time Premier League winner around the £25m mark, as revealed by Football Insider earlier this week.

This has sparked the interest of Leeds United, as Elliott tries to repair his tarnished reputation in the English game after a difficult loan spell at Aston Villa.

Coventry may have landed the next James Maddison by signing the 23-year-old, while the Sky Blues have never been able to get the best of their home fans, having flown the nest long before the Sky Blues worked their way up the leagues to seal Premier League promotion.

Hopefully, with Elliott likely to come through the door, they can regain a Maddison-like presence in midfield, as they look to survive, with Ipswich needing to ensure they are in the race, as they will improve their options.

Why Elliott could be Coventry's next Maddison

Maddison would go on to make 45 appearances for his boyhood club before embarking on the adventure that has seen him become a Premier League regular with Tottenham Hotspur.

He powered 56 goals in the top flight from 226 appearances in the Premier League, landing his first professional football in League One with Coventry.

Elliott doesn't have the same heavy numbers, but from a staggering 99 games, with five goals and 13 assists, he had to adapt to the rigors and fall of the EFL at a young age, when he was loaned to Liverpool.

Now, the 23-year-old has two Premier League titles under his belt on Merseyside, making him the right player for Coventry and Ipswich to take on, as they add players who have the experience to swim, rather than sink, when pushed to the bottom of the top flight.

Another key for both Kieran McKenna's side, and Lampard's champions, will be that Elliott can line up in midfield if needed.

The 28-time England U21 player's most prolific season in the Premier League – netting him nine assists during Jurgen Klopp's farewell campaign – saw him as a traditional midfielder, a number ten, and a winner on the right.

Maddison is well-known, too, for switching between his midfield duties and his creative calls when playing as a number ten, with his versatility allowing him to become a top-flight player.

Coventry would love to snap up Elliott and turn him into a Premier League side at the CBS Arena, having never had the chance to do that with either of their own.

Ipswich should be in the running for the 23-year-old's services, too, as he would slot seamlessly into an already attacking squad that boasts Jack Clarke and Jaden Philogene.

This should be an interesting clash to keep an eye on when the window opens, as few Premier League clubs will be willing to risk a star who has shown promise for a run at the top.