After huge interest and weeks of staying the frontrunner in the race to sign Sunderland’s star goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, reports have now emerged of the Merseyside club already tabling a £10 million for the 23-year-old.
With Sunderland already relegated from the Premier League this season, their star player is unlikely to stay after the end of the season and with four more years left on his contract, the Wearside club is bound to cash in on the fan favourite.
Ronald Koeman has had a mixed observation on the players under the bar. Both the available options at Goodison Park has been somewhat unconvincing with the Dutch manager eyeing to add a shot-stopper this summer. It means a departure for either of the two and by the looks of it, old Marten Stekelenburg might get the axe.
The Dutch number one is already 34 and hasn’t been at his best of late. He has conceded 24 goals this season in 19 league outings and Koeman has tried shuffling his position with the Spanish Joel Robles. The 26-year-old has conceded a decent 17 goals in 19 league outings and Koeman is expected to stick with him.
However, getting Pickford won’t be that easy as the young goalie has a number of admirers in Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and other top sides and Everton will definitely have to increase their bid if they want to cement the deal. And as David Moyes had stated earlier, “At the moment, I really wouldn’t know what the odds are on him staying… but if Jordan was to go elsewhere and not be the number one, that wouldn’t be good for him…”
Hence, a move to United or Liverpool is more unlikely as opposed to at Goodison Park, where Pickford will get the first-team action that is quintessential in his developing stage. Pickford has developed extremely well this season as he has impressed many with his reflexes and perfect ball distribution.
An academy product of Sunderland, Pickford has spent loan stints with sides like Darlington FC, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City and Preston North End before Sunderland decided to retain him for the season last season. And his first team actions this season was purely coincidental.
An early injury to Vito Mannone forced Moyes to bring him on and there was no looking back. Though he has conceded 43 goals in 27 outings so far, he had a highly penetrable defence to protect him.
