Everton managerial target Marcelo Bielsa has reportedly rejected the club’s approach as they scramble to replace axed boss Frank Lampard. Brentford manager Thomas Frank is also said to have turned down interest from the Toffees, with just 18 Premier League games left for them to power clear of relegation trouble.
Lampard was on thin ice heading into Saturday’s relegation six-pointer against West Ham. His fate was eventually sealed by Jarrod Bowen’s first-half double, consigning the Toffees to a 2-0 defeat and dropping them to 19th in the Premier League table.
The former Chelsea and England midfielder received his marching orders on Monday, giving Everton a two-week gap in which to recruit their new boss. Having been a hugely popular figure during his four-year spell at Leeds, Bielsa was thought to be a key option under consideration.
However, according to the Daily Mail, the 67-year-old Argentine has turned down the approach after holding talks with the club’s hierarchy. Brentford’s Frank is also said to snubbed the vacancy, with fans hoping to see a drastic turnaround over the second half of the campaign.
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“I absolutely don’t fear [the sack], I’m proud to do the job,” Lampard told reporters after Saturday’s defeat. “I never get that far down the line to fear, I just do my job, I get up every day and think how we can get a little bit better, it’s as simple as that.
“It’s a tough moment. And I’m the first – as a player I was and as a manager I am – to try and go over to the fans that travelled down. And if the fans feel as though that’s a badness from the players or from myself, I apologise for that.”
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