‘All things are on the table’ - Frank Lampard on Everton transfer plans as Danny Ings linked

Frank Lampard has refused to be drawn on speculation linking Everton with a January move for Aston Villa striker Danny Ings.

But the Toffees boss has admitted that 'all things are on the table' when it comes to strengthening his squad in the mid-season transfer window.

Ings, whose Villa future has been cast into doubt following the arrival of Unai Emery, has been cited as a potential solution to Everton's struggles in front of goal.

And, though Lampard would not comment on the possibility of the former Liverpool man returning to Merseyside, he admitted that a number of options are being assessed.

He said: "I'm not talking about Danny Ings but both options that you mention there, a loan or obligation or buying players, all things are on the table.

"I'm never going to sit here and talk about finances because it's not my point or my strength to give you detail enough on that.

"We want to improve the squad in January, we want to help the squad in January, but my job first and foremost has to be to work with the players we've got here now and how we can get a result against Manchester United and Southampton.

"If we can improve and help the squad, then great. It's not an easy window, everybody knows that, but we'll certainly try to improve it because it feels like we need that for sure."

Some supporters have voiced frustrations that solutions to Everton's problems weren't already lined up for a move when the window opened on January 1.

But Lampard has put that down to the difficulties of buying in the middle of a campaign, as well as a desire to avoid repeating mistakes of the past.

He continued: "The context of it is probably a post-World Cup transfer window where maybe some players, some agents, there are a lot of different things that come into play in this window.

"People from the outside might say, 'Why aren't you [signing on January 1]?' We have to look at the best solution, viable solutions, and of course from my point I want those solutions because it will help me become a better manager and help us have some more competition and get results we maybe haven't quite been able to get.

"Those are the rules of football sometimes, that's the importance of recruitment, so there's no coming away from the fact that it's a huge deal for us.

"But also we've seen in previous times that we've made decisions like that that haven't gone right and they can also have a negative effect. So we have to be balanced about it."

The former Chelsea boss also reassured fans that there is money to spend, even if temporary deals are also a possibility currently being explored.

He added: "We have a budget to spend but, as I mentioned, we may look at loans as well and we have to look at can we bring in a player to impact us now because that's what we want and we need.

"But also not to bring in players that become our players that are not the right move for Everton and for our squad to help us and improve us.

"That's a process we have to go through to make sure we don't make those mistakes. It's not easy, it's not a big market at the minute, particularly at the top end of the pitch, it's always the hardest market to find people that will come and deliver for you. But we have to work our best way to try and do that."