Frank Lampard has insisted that Everton do not need to sell Anthony Gordon, despite the player asking to leave his boyhood club for Chelsea.
Chelsea are willing to pay up to £60million for the winger, who was on the bench for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup win at Fleetwood Town. Having had four proposals for the 21-year-old knocked back, Chelsea are now willing to offer a guaranteed £50m plus £10m in add-ons.
Chelsea’s latest approach is understood to have brought the two clubs closer to a compromise, with Everton wanting a fee in excess of £50m. The growing sense that they will get their man has been further strengthened by Gordon’s desire to join Chelsea.
Anthony Gordon is generating £60million interest from Chelsea in the summer window
Everton boss Frank Lampard insisted on Tuesday that the Toffees’ do not have to sell Gordon
Gordon has also been the subject of interest from Tottenham and Newcastle, but Lampard was adamant after Tuesday night’s match that Everton would hold firm.
‘It is a football decision and a financial decision and it has to be right for everyone,’ said Lampard, who could still use Gordon for the trip to Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday. ‘Anthony is our player.’
Meanwhile, Chelsea have had a third bid for Wesley Fofana rejected, with Leicester holding out for more than £80m – a world-record fee for a defender.
Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers revealed on Tuesday night that Fofana had missed a training session last week without permission.
Leicester travel to Chelsea on Saturday, with Fofana set to be left out of the matchday squad for the second week in a row if he is not in the right frame of mind.
Brendan Rodgers (left) confirmed Leicester did reject another bid for Wesley Fofana (right) on Tuesday, while also revealing that the defender missed a training session last week