Everton are in talks with Jordan Pickford about a new contract and Frank Lampard believes the England goalkeeper could commit his future to the club next month.
Pickford has two years left on the contract he signed in 2018 and Lampard is keen to keep a player whose saves were crucial in keeping Everton up last season.
His immediate priority is to sign a striker and a midfielder but he believes a deal with Pickford could be agreed quickly.
He said: “The club are speaking with Jordan. He is a massive player for us, everyone wants him to stay and Jordan is very happy here. Maybe it is one for the craziness of the window to shut in a couple of weeks and in the cold, clam light of day we can get it done very quickly.”
Lampard is keen to keep the Chelsea target Anthony Gordon and insisted the situation with the winger is different from his own move from West Ham to Stamford Bridge in 2001.
“I had four years in the first team at West Ham,” he said. “I got in at 17 and left at 21-22. So it is not a direct comparison. I’m not silly, I know players can be ambitious, Chelsea is a club that is always going to in my bones because of what it did for my career, and what I feel about the fans and what I got out of it, so I have got huge respect and appreciation for that.
“But while I work for Everton and I feel the passion of this club and what this club has done for individuals and what individuals can do for this club then it is my job to hold that closest than anything at the moment so when I have those conversations I think what is best for Everton, what is best for me and my job.”
A theme of Lampard’s management at Chelsea was his wish to promote youth and now they want to take Everton’s best prospect and he added: “At Chelsea, I brought loads of young players into the team and now they want to take one of my young players. Maybe there is an irony in it. But I think it is understandable that people may be interested in players like that, that’s the way the world works.”
Lampard is not concerned that his reluctance to sell Gordon could damage Everton’s chances of taking a Chelsea player – potentially striker Armando Broja – on loan.
“I think they are separate conversations,” he explained. “I know the Chelsea players very well. I’ve got one loan left to use for the UK and it is not just Chelsea we are looking in the area for.”
Dele Alli, who is wanted by Besiktas, has not yet gone to Turkey and is in Everton’s squad for Saturday’s game against Nottingham Forest.
