Everton are keen on Manchester United’s 21-year-old midfielder James Garner as Frank Lampard aspires to strengthen his midfield options further.
According to Football Insider, James Garner is a target for Everton as Frank Lampard seeks further reinforcements to his midfield areas. Having lost a host of midfielders in the summer, the Toffees boss is keen to bring the right quality that complements his system.
James Garner’s name has been frequently mentioned in the last few weeks as speculation mounted around the young midfielder’s future at Manchester United. The 21-year-old is pencilled in to depart the Red Devils as he does not appear to be in manager Erik ten Hag’s plans.
Having spent the last two seasons in the Championship, Garner made his mark during the 18 months on loan with Nottingham Forest. He was a crucial part of Steve Cooper’s side that gained promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs last season.
Back at Manchester United, Garner would have hoped to earn a spot in the first-team setup, especially given the club’s woes in midfield. However, the Red Devils are ready to sell the midfielder for £14 million. The news has some fan sections irked because they have been crying out for a new defensive midfielder, and Garner is just back with tremendous experience in his bag.
Several clubs keen on Garner, including Everton, ponder making an approach to Manchester United. The Toffees have strengthened their squad decently during this window, but Frank Lampard may be keen on further additions, particularly in midfield.
The arrival of Amadou Onana from Lille has brought a new life into their midfield, but that player alone may not be considered enough. The Toffees lost Gylfi Sigurdsson and Fabian Delph at the end of last season, while Donny van de Beek returned to Manchester United once his loan spell concluded.
Lampard has Allan, Tom Davies and Abdoulaye Doucoure as options while they could re-sign Idrissa Gueye. But Allan’s future has been a topic of speculation all summer while Dele Alli could also be on his way out. Bringing in a player like Garner would allow Lampard to add more quality and depth to his midfield department.
To that end, Everton have made an approach to register their interest in Garner. The Toffees could be in a position to meet Manchester United’s demands for the 21-year-old. The Red Devils have an option of extending the midfielder’s contract by a year which expires in 2024.
As things stand, Garner may be playing his football away from Old Trafford, with Manchester United open to selling him outright rather than loaning him out for another season. Whether Everton can sign him will be answered in the coming days, as there’s not much time left in the transfer window.
