Everton could well make a move for Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour this summer, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the transfer insider revealed that the Toffees could swoop for the Scotland international before the end of the window, with those at Stamford Bridge said to be likely to sanction a loan departure.

Brown stated: "Gilmour is a really interesting one. He clearly has a massive future, but I don’t think he’s going to play very much for Chelsea this season and they would definitely be interested in another loan.  He’s obviously a player that Lampard brought through and he played his best games for Chelsea under him.

“Is he ready to play every week in that kind of role? It is a key role for the club and that’s the big question mark because he didn’t have a fantastic season on loan at Norwich.

“But I think by the end of the window, depending on what other business Everton get done, you could well see a move for Billy Gilmour.”

This follows a recent report from talkSPORT which suggested that Everton manager Frank Lampard has been given the 'green light' to secure a temporary deal for the 21-year-old, with the player said to be keen to reunite with the man who handed him his Premier League debut with Chelsea.

Lampard would love him

It has proven to be a tricky last 12 months for the young playmaker, having suffered relegation during what was a mixed loan stint at Norwich City, before enduring further heartbreak at international level as Steve Clarke's side missed out on World Cup qualification.

A year on from catching the eye for his country at Euro 2020 - during which he was dubbed "fantastic" by Jose Mourinho - the former Rangers youth star is currently in a state of flux after having been removed from the first-team squad by Thomas Tuchel during Chelsea's tour of the United States.

Seemingly surplus to requirements at his parent club, there could well be no better place for Gilmour to kickstart his career than under the watchful eye of the aforementioned Lampard, with the 44-year-old having been the man to hand him his chance during their time together at Stamford Bridge.

It was under the Englishman's tutelage that the £10.8m-rated gem truly began to flourish at senior level, notably putting in a man-of-the-match display in a 2-0 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup in March 2020.

That performance was met with lavish praise from the typically hard-to-please Roy Keane, with the Sky Sports pundit suggesting that the highly-rated Scot looked like a "world-class" player in that win over the Reds.

Chances have been few and far between since then - with just 22 appearances for the Blues to his name in all competitions - although a move to Goodison Park could offer the perfect platform for the £28k-per-week playmaker to blossom.

As for the Merseysiders, there would be few complaints about bringing in a young and hungry talent such as Gilmour, particularly amid the lack of transfer activity currently, with Lampard sure to love the chance to reunite with one of his former players.

He simply now needs Everton's sporting director Kelvin Thelwell to act...

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