Lille defender Gabriel, who is a target for Chelsea and Everton, has confessed his admiration for Frank Lampard.
The Brazilian defender is rumoured to be a target for several clubs this summer following an impressive season at Lille.
Mirror Sport understands that Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti is keen to make Gabriel his first signing at Goodison Park.
The Italian will be backed in the transfer market and has identified the 22-year-old as a defensive linchpin.
But Gabriel's fondness for Lampard could give Chelsea the edge should the two go head-to-head in the market.
“He was a great player without a doubt,” Gabriel told UOL. “He is one of those players that I admired on the small screen.
“But we have to be calm with all this. It is early and I renewed my contract with Lille until 2023.
“The focus now is to return to play and end the season at a high level, and qualifying Lille for the 2020-21 Champions League.”
Gabriel was part of a Lille side that twice lost to the Blues in the Champions League group stages this season.
The French side are battling to play in Europe's premier club competition once again.
And although the defender is aware of the mounting speculation, he does his best to focus on matters on the pitch.
“I follow it, but I try to stay apart from it. I always tell my managers that, at this moment, I want to know as little as possible so as not to lose focus on the pitch.
“I am happy to see my name being linked with great teams. It shows that the work I’ve done so far has been good. I also see many fans of the two teams commenting on my posts on Instagram. It’s funny.”
