Everton have a new manager at the helm but their transfer strategy doesn’t look as though it’ll differ from years gone by.
The Toffees hierarchy are set to back Rafa Benitez but there has been no sign of any incomings just yet.
What’s the word?
The Merseyside outfit have been linked with a number of high profile players from Isco and Philippe Coutinho to Denzel Dumfries.
However, one of the latest rumours revolves around a goalkeeper; Pierluigi Gollini.
TuttoAtalanta (via Sport Witness) claims that Everton have taken information on the Italian stopper and are now considering a bid for him this summer.
Gollini is expected to be pushed down the pecking order at Atalanta and the Toffees could offer him an escape route.
The ‘keeper is currently valued at £15.3m by Transfermarkt.
Pickford in trouble?
There is no doubting just how good Jordan Pickford is when it comes to England duty.
He has very rarely put a foot wrong under Gareth Southgate and has shown as much on his way to helping the Three Lions reach the final of the European Championships.
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Pickford kept five clean sheets in his opening five matches but began to look a little shakier in the semi-final win over Denmark.
The Everton stopper was poor with his distribution as some of the flaws we’ve seen during his performances for the Toffees reared their ugly head.
During recent campaigns, the 26-year-old has been questionable between the sticks, being described by many, including journalist Phil McNulty, as a “liability.”
It’s easy to see why. Throughout 176 Premier League appearances, the stopper has made 15 individual errors directly leading to a goal. Seven of those errors have come in the last two years which make him the most error-prone ‘keeper in the top-flight over that time frame.
Everton have been linked with a few goalkeepers including Barcelona’s Neto but considering Gollini is a first choice, this could finally give them an excuse to axe Pickford.
His form this summer has been near impeccable but that might not matter if he continues to perform under par for his club.
Standing at 6 foot 4, Gollini is a giant frame between the posts and is particularly highly rated in Italy.
Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny once claimed that he’s “performed miracles.”
The 26-year-old ranks in the 62nd percentile for post-shot expected goals minus goals allowed. For those who may be confused, the higher your percentage in this department, the better you are at stopping shots.
Gollini ranks higher in this regard with Pickford falling into the 54th percentile.
One of the biggest things to notice about the Everton target is his ability to sweep. He ranks in the 85th percentile for defensive actions outside of the penalty area. Pickford is only in the 40th percentile for this department.
On that evidence, it would appear that Gollini is a completely different type of goalkeeper.
Either way, Benitez will be hoping that he brings greater stability than Pickford has done in recent campaigns.