Everton boss Frank Lampard wants to sign Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea in January
Frank Lampard is wanting to bring Ruben Loftus-Cheek to Everton amid his contract uncertainty, according to journalist Simon Phillips.
The January transfer window is fast approaching and Lampard is set to return to Chelsea for his top midfield target.
Lampard brought in Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye to bolster Everton’s midfield in the summer, but it seems the 44-year-old still feels something missing in that department.
That something could well be Loftus-Cheek, whose contract at Chelsea expires in 2024. Lampard has been a fan of the 26-year-old since his stint at Stamford Bridge, when he described him as a “hugely-talented” player. [Sky Sports]
Phillips is a reliable Chelsea journalist and he (via Chelsea News) reports that Everton are “monitoring” the midfielder’s situation, with Loftus-Cheek apparently not keen on playing wing-back under new Blues boss Graham Potter.
A good fit
Loftus-Cheek’s best performances in West London came under Lampard, and the Everton boss clearly wants to transfer that over to Goodison Park.
As a legendary midfielder himself, Lampard’s ability to coach midfielders has already been witnessed by Evertonians, with Alex Iwobi transitioning to a superb central midfielder under his stewardship.
Onana has also enjoyed a strong start to the season under Lampard’s guidance, so the board should back him when he identifies new midfield targets for January.
On top of that, with Loftus-Cheek’s Chelsea contract soon expiring, Chelsea will want to sell and may be forced to accept a cut price for him to avoid losing him for free in 2024.
He’d be a direct upgrade on Tom Davies, who has consistently proved he’s not good enough to be a regular starter in the Premier League. It’ll also worry James Garner, who has struggled for game time since his arrival in the summer.
But Lampard clearly wants more depth in midfield and picking up Loftus-Cheek on a cheap deal is too good to turn down.