Everton are a candidate for the signature of Jesse Lingard, according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport (via BBC Sport). 

The lowdown

Manchester United officially confirmed on 1 June that Lingard would be leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of the month.

Clubs will now be jostling for the signature of the Englishman, believed to earn £75,000-per-week at Old Trafford.

Lingard is a versatile attacking option, capable of operating on both flanks as well as in central areas.

As a result of 'previous excesses' in the transfer market, Frank Lampard does not have a 'huge' budget at his disposal this summer to strengthen the squad, and so free transfers may be particularly appealing (via The Athletic).

This has also led to links with Burnley's James Tarkowski, for whom Everton are believed to be in pole position.

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The latest

The report states that Jose Mourinho would be interested in a potential reunion with Lingard at Roma.

But they'll have to convince the 29-year-old to overlook Premier League suitors, including Everton and West Ham.

Lingard, of course, spent the latter half of the 2020/21 campaign at The London Stadium, which could give West Ham a key edge.

The verdict

Lingard is the right calibre of player for Everton to pursue.

He boasts 165 games of Premier League experience, scoring 29 goals and providing 17 assists in his top flight career to date.

What's more, he's racked up 32 caps for England, the last of which came as recently as October 2021.

Lampard may be a long-term admirer, based on comments he made live on BT Sport in 2018.

"I really like him," he said. "I think his game's improved so much."

With Everton on the trail of both Lingard and Tarkowski, it's clear that the manager is ready to make the most of Bosman deal opportunities in the coming weeks.

In other news, Frank McAvennie reacts to a potentially significant blow for Everton.