Everton have reportedly held talks with Sam Allardyce over potentially replacing Frank Lampard as Toffees manager.

The Lowdown: Bielsa number one

As per The Daily Mail, former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa is the Goodison Park outfit's number one choice to replace Lampard, but is getting 'cold feet' over accepting the position.

He has told the Merseyside club's officials that the team is 'too slow' to play the way that he wants, and says that they must 'prioritise pace' in terms of recruitment in the last week of the transfer window.

This comes after Tottenham Hotspur hijacked their move for Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma, while the pacy Anthony Gordon could be set for a move to Newcastle United.

The Latest: Allardyce talks

According to The Daily Mail, key figures within the Everton hierarchy are 'admirers' of their former boss Allardyce, and have 'held initial talks' over him potentially replacing Lampard.

The feeling is that Allardyce's experience of keeping teams up would give the Toffees a 'strong chance' of staying up, as they currently sit in the relegation zone in the Premier League and two points away from safety.

The Verdict: Safe pair of hands

Given Allardyce's astonishing record of keeping teams up in the Premier League, where he has only suffered one relegation despite managing eight different clubs, the Englishman man would be a safe pair of hands for the Blues as they look to avoid dropping down to the Championship.

Of course, he also has experience of managing Everton before, guiding them to a respectable eighth place in the 2017/2018 season despite the disillusionment of fans with his style of play, so will know the club well from top to bottom.

Nonetheless, Allardyce has also expressed his admiration for some players in the Toffees squad, including target man Dominic Calvert-Lewin and club captain Seamus Coleman, and will feel that he can get the best out of those players from now until the end of the season.

However, the 68-year-old has recently shared his concern with the club's current situation, and so it may take some persuading for him to return to Goodison.