Everton may have already found their Anthony Gordon replacement…

What’s the word?

According to journalist Simon Phillips, the Toffees are already preparing for life without their homegrown starlet. They could be set to pull off a huge coup, though, swooping in for one of Manchester United’s targets as their Premier League rivals occupy themselves with the Antony saga.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Phillips claimed in relation to Everton: “There’s interest in Cody Gakpo, that’s one name given to me that they could turn to, to replace Gordon.”

The 23-year-old will reportedly be available for £35m, just over half the reported fee that the Merseyside club look set to receive for Gordon.

He’s way better than Gordon

At just two years his senior, Gakpo boasts far better stats than the 21-year-old Englishman.

In 35 Premier League games for Everton last term, Gordon managed just four goals and two assists in a struggling team. Meanwhile, the Dutchman recorded an exceptional 21 goals and 15 assists across various competitions for PSV Eindhoven.

Although the Eredivisie ranks notably lower than the Premier League in UEFA's association club coefficient, the disparity between their numbers is so insurmountable that it overcomes the gap in quality between the respective divisions.

Gakpo shows no signs of slowing down either, recording two goals and one assist in his first two Eredivisie starts this season.

His performance against Rangers earlier this month also drew praise, as journalist Josh Bunting claimed that the 23-year-old was “so quick and always looking to take on the full-backs, Cody Gakpo is electric, his close control is absolutely outstanding”.

Meanwhile, Gordon has missed one big chance, creating none, and has recorded a disappointing 27% dribble success rate in his opening three Premier League games this term.

Ultimately, the Merseyside maverick only truly excels in the defensive side of the game. He sits in the top 6% for pressures, top 4% for tackles and top 1% for blocks per 90 among positional peers in Europe's top five leagues over the past 12 months, but Lampard will want more offensive output from his team, who have struggled in front of goal this season.

Since the Chelsea rumours emerged, his productivity in front of goal has evaded him, although it remains to be seen whether he ever possessed it.

To trade in this raw English talent for the young but accomplished Dutchman would be a stroke of genius by Everton, especially considering that it would leave money left over for further additions. Gakpo is clearly better than Gordon already, with arguably a higher ceiling too.