Conor Gallagher is one of six Chelsea players who Frank Lampard could target for Everton

Frank Lampard is plotting his summer recruitment at Everton.

With the Toffees safe in the Premier League for another campaign, all eyes will be on how another relegation battle is avoided.

A 16th-place finish was well below par. For someone who won every trophy possible during his playing days, Lampard won’t be happy to remain in the lower echelons of the table.

Indeed, who Everton bring to Goodison Park will be key.

Lampard, many people predict, may use his Chelsea connections to prise some young talents from Stamford Bridge.

Having spent the majority of his playing career at Stamford Bridge, along with an 18-month spell as manager, he’ll still have his ear to the ground at the club.

Several Chelsea player have been linked so far.

We take a look at who could fit the bill for Everton.

Conor Gallagher

Plenty of supporters would love to see the midfielder at Goodison.

Gallagher’s career has been on a constant, upward trajectory for several years. His spell at Crystal Palace in 2021-22 was the fourth loan of his career - and the most fruitful.

Gallagher was a key player for the Eagles, recording eight goals and three assists in the Premier League to help them to a commendable 12th-place finish.

More impressively, he’s broken into the England senior squad and has been called up for their four Nations League games this month.

Gallagher has been linked and Everton will require additional options in the engine room. Donny van de Beek has returned to Manchester United following his loan spell, while it remains to be seen whether Fabian Delph signs a new deal.

There are also question marks over the futures of Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin, who spent the second half of the season on loan at CSKA Moscow.

Gallagher has admitted he’s not yet thought about his future.

Armando Broja

Lampard was swift to remind everyone that he was the one who handed Broja his Chelsea debut before Everton’s loss to Southampton in February.

Clearly, then, Lampard reckons the forward is talented and has a bright future.

The 20-year-old spent the season on loan at St Mary’s where he enjoyed a decent period given it was his breakthrough year in the Premier League.

Broja scored nine goals in 38 games in all competitions. That’s not a bad return at all for a side that finished 15th in the table.

Bolstering his attacking options is something Lampard may seek.

Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have both been linked with exits while Andros Townsend continues his recovery from an ACL injury.

Broja is a reported target for Everton.

Levi Colwill

The centre-back has yet to make his first-team debut at Chelsea.

However, Colwill has just enjoyed a fine maiden season playing senior football at Huddersfield.

Colwill, 19, made 34 outings for the Terriers as they suffered Championship play-off final heartbreak to Nottingham Forest.

Given he has proven himself in the upper echelons of the second tier, the obvious next step for the England under-21 international is to step up to the top flight.

Playing for a Chelsea side that are expected to challenge for the Premier League may be a bit fanciful.

But a conduit towards Tuchel’s set-up on loan could be the path the Londoners plot.

Everton are well stocked in central defence, although much has been made about Yerry Mina’s future.

Some feel that, with his injury record and being one of the club’s higher earners, it would be better to offload the Colombian.

What’s more, Colwill - who has been linked with Everton - is also left-footed which is a rare and invaluable commodity in central defence.

Billy Gilmour

When Lampard was in the Stamford Bridge hot seat, plenty of people thought it would be Gilmour who’d be the youngster to go the furthest.

The Scotland international was the blue-eyed boy - but his fledgling career has stuttered somewhat.

Gilmour was sent on loan to Norwich City last summer to get regular minutes under his belt.

However, things didn’t go to plan for the diminutive figure. He managed only 21 starts in the top flight as the Canaries were relegation.

Still, plenty who saw Gilmour at Chelsea will agree he has ability in abundance.

Who better would there be than Lampard, then, to put his arm around his should and ensure his career gets back on track?

A ball-carrying midfielder is something that Everton have lacked.

Malang Sarr 

The expected exits of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen mean that Chelsea’s centre-back options may be sparse.

But if Tuchel recruits in central defence, as expected, Sarr may again find himself out of favour.

Sarr managed 22 appearances in all competitions in 2021-22.

But only eight of those were in the Premier League and the 23-year-old may want to kick on elsewhere.

It’s easy to forget that it was Lampard who rubber-stamped Sarr’s move to Stamford Bridge.

The centre-half was plying his trade at Nice when Chelsea made their move in the summer of 2020.

Again, much may depend on what happens at Everton in terms of outgoings in defence.

Along with talk about Mina’s future, Michael Keane has been linked with a switch to West Ham.

Ian Maatsen

A name who may be unfamiliar to some - but the Dutchman has been going about his business quietly.

Maatsen has spent the past two seasons on loan away from Chelsea - firstly at Charlton Athletic in League One before stepping up to Coventry City in the Championship.

Maatsen, 20, is a versatile performer capable of playing up and down the left flank.

Vitalii Mykolenko has made hurtling progress since he arrived from Dynamo Kyiv in January.

But whether there is adequate cover is another matter.

The versatile Jonjoe Kenny is out of contract and Lampard has to weigh up whether to retain him or opt to release him.

Niels Nkounkou, meanwhile, spent the campaign on loan at Standard Liege.

He made 25 appearances but failed to register a goal or assist as Liege finished a disappointing 14th in the Belgian top flight.