Frank Lampard insists Anthony Gordon sale makes no sense now, highlighting goal-getter’s importance to Everton

Frank Lampard has ruled out an Everton exit for Anthony Gordon this summer due to the forward being too important and the transfer deadline being too close.

Gordon has been a target for Chelsea in recent weeks, but Everton have been holding firm over his asking price. As such, he remains a member of their squad and scored the opener in a 1-1 draw with Leeds United on Tuesday.

It was Gordon’s second goal of the season, both of which have come within a few days of each other. Manager Frank Lampard does not think it will be his last for the club.

Asked if there is still a chance Gordon could go to Chelsea, Lampard said: “No, he’s too important a player and I think he showed his worth in the last two games.

“And with two days now to go [until the transfer window closes], what good would it do us to do anything with Anthony? On a bigger picture than that, he is our player who we’ve developed and there’s an affiliation with him and the fans and vice versa.

“Clearly, the interest has been there because he’s a top player. And that’s why we’re so keen to keep him.”

On the opposite front, it has been a busy summer of signings for Everton. They have brought in James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil, Amadou Onana and Neal Maupay on permanent deals.

In addition, they have acquired the services of Ruben Vinagre and Conor Coady on loan from Sporting CP and Wolves respectively.

Having lost Richarlison earlier in the transfer window and seeing Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggle with injuries, though, some wonder if they could do with another striker on top of Maupay.

On that prospect, Lampard responded: “We’ll see. We are not desperate, we’ve worked hard in this window.

“We need to – not rebuild – but add in the right way.”

Frank Lampard disappointed by inability to use Maupay

Maupay was unavailable for the Leeds game because he was registered on a bank holiday Monday. The Premier League stipulate that a player must be registered by midday of the working day before the team’s next match. Therefore, he had to sit out.

Lampard, however, was unaware and had been planning for the Leeds game with Maupay in mind.

After not being able to give him his debut, Lampard said: “It feels strange and disappointing. It denies us options in the game.

“We signed him on Friday afternoon and because of bank holiday weekend, he’s not allowed to play on a Tuesday night. It seems a long time.

“I wasn’t aware of it until late, so we prepared the game with Neal in mind. And then that changed I didn’t have that option.

“I’m not telling the Premier League what to do because I’d probably be told off for saying that. But the reality is, who gets bank holidays anymore? I don’t.

“The Premier League is the best brand of football and the best league in the world. We signed a player four days ago. Whether it’s a quirk of the rules, it will probably change now.”

Everton are next in action on Saturday when they host Liverpool in the Merseyside derby. The transfer window will have closed by then, so it will be interesting to see if there have been any more changes to their squad.

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