Pete O'Rourke has revealed his verdict on Everton's pursuit of reported transfer target Billy Gilmour.
What's the latest?
In a recent interview with Football FanCast, the transfer insider and Sky Sports journalist revealed that he believes that if Everton were indeed interested in loaning Billy Gilmour from Chelsea this summer, Frank Lampard's influence would "give them the edge" to sign the youngster.
In full, he told FFC: "It does give them an edge, especially if it comes down to who Billy Gilmour wants to join. If there's several clubs in for him, it's going to give maybe a slight advantage to Everton, to have the chance to work under Frank Lampard again, who gave him his debut at Chelsea and gave him a regular room in the side as well and got the best out of him.
"So I'm sure that will definitely come into the player's thoughts if he is allowed to move on from Chelsea this summer."
An "absolute delight" for Lampard
There is no doubt that the Everton boss would be thrilled to add Gilmour into his Merseyside-based squad this summer, as the need for a fresh new perspective in the centre of the pitch is desperately needed at Goodison Park.
With Fabian Delph leaving and Donny van de Beek's loan deal coming to an end, there is definitely room for improvement in the heart of the team and Gilmour could get a second chance at proving himself to be the Premier League star he is predicted to become by joining Everton and thriving under his former manager.
The Scotland international struggled in a very poor Norwich team last season, and with the Canaries in a vulnerable position, Gilmour was left to play survival football reserving the best of his ability and flair for his national team.
Over the World Cup qualifiers, the 21-year-old was a reliable and consistent presence for the Scots during their difficult campaign for a spot in the prestigious international competition that kicks off this winter.
During eight appearances, Gilmour made one key pass, 1.5 tackles and took 1.6 shots on goal per game, while winning 50% of his duels and being successful in the majority of his dribbles (64%), as well as tallying up a pass accuracy in his own half of an impressive 92%.
The young Chelsea midfielder has been the recipient of high praise with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Roy Keane and Graeme Souness singing his praises.
Former Liverpool captain Souness hailed Gilmour an "absolute delight" last summer after the 0-0 draw against England in Euro 2020:
"He's just got that all-round awareness of where people are all of the time and his first touch is generally away from the man who is marking him. He creates space for himself.
"He is an absolute delight. If you have someone in your team that will take the ball all the time and not lose it (it's a joy)."
With that being said, it is no wonder Lampard is a huge admirer of the player giving him his start at Chelsea and if O'Rourke's comments are to be believed he could be a great signing for Everton and one to watch for the Toffees in the future.