Everton have appointed ex-Chelsea boss Frank Lampard as their new manager and he is keen to get new signings in before the transfer deadline, including Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek
Lampard, 43, will be officially announced as the new Toffees manager on Monday morning with the former Chelsea manager and legendary midfielder having completed negotiations earlier yesterday over a two and a half-year contract until June 2024. He was part of a three-man interview process on Friday in London and the former Blues icon more than sufficiently impressed owner Farhad Moshiri and the club’s board.
Lampard will take training at Finch Farm today when he is officially confirmed as Rafa Benitez’s successor and he will then oversee transfer deadline day with the club’s hierarchy.
Van de Beek is expected to sign on loan until the end of the season and Everton have agreed to pay his £100,000-a-week wages in full but there will be no option to make the deal permanent in the summer.
The 24-year old Dutchman has struggled for regular game time at Old Trafford since his 2020 move from Ajax and interim boss Ralf Rangnick approved a loan move late last week. The midfielder wanted to join Everton in the summer but the move had been blocked by United.
Lampard will also definitely be wanting to reinforce his new squad with further additions in before the 11pm deadline but with the clock ticking his back will be right up against the wall until the eleventh hour. The ex-Derby boss was busy at the drawing board putting the final touches to his backroom team last night.
Lampard also seems to have convinced ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid assistant Paul Clement to be his No 2 at Goodison Park and the former Blues gaffer had also been keen on bringing in Anthony Barry, the former Everton youth player he took to Chelsea in 2020, but he is set to stay at Stamford Bridge.
Clement worked alongside former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich, besides also having had stints at Derby, Swansea and Reading as manager before being fired from Belgium side Cercle Brugge in February 2021.
Chelsea coach Joe Edwards is also likely to join Lampard’s team today.