According to reports in The Liverpool Echo, Everton are keen to sign Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford this summer and have already tabled a bid of £8million, but the Mackems are holding out for £30million.

Toffees manager Ronald Koeman is keen to sign a new stopper this summer to provide competition for Maarten Stekelenburg and Joel Robles, and he is said to be a big fan of the 23-year-old.

Pickford caught the attention of a number of clubs throughout the season following some impressive performances between the sticks for the Black Cats, but he was unable to help them escape relegation to the Championship.

Even though they have gone down to England’s second tier, the Wearside outfit are determined to get the fee they want for one of their star players and Koeman could be forced to shell out more than he perhaps wants to.

Here are three reasons Everton must loosen the purse strings to complete a deal for Pickford…

They need a new number one

With both Maarten Stekelenburg and Joel Robles failing to impress at points throughout the season, there is little doubt that Koeman will be wanting to sign a first choice goalkeeper this summer if the Toffees are to progress again next term.

There are few better and obtainable options on the market than Pickford right now, and the Dutchman can’t afford to submit low bids when he needs to get his team together as quickly as possible for the Europa League qualifiers.

He has proven his worth

With Sunderland struggling at the bottom of the table for the entire season, Pickford certainly had plenty do in goal and he impressed with many aspects of his game.

Commanding and with brilliant reflexes, the 23-year-old kept four clean sheets in 29 appearances and made an average of 3.79 saves per game.

A 1-0 defeat against Tottenham at White Hart Lane earlier in the campaign is particularly memorable as the goalkeeper made a string of fine saves to keep the scoreline down.

He could be a long-term addition

At just 23 years of age and with his best years of his career still ahead of him, Pickford looks to have a bright future in the game at club level and potentially for England too.

While the £30million asking price is probably too much, transfer fees are getting bigger every window and Everton may have to start looking at the situation as though Pickford could be their number one goalkeeper for at least the next five seasons.

If the Toffees want to be ambitious and get the players they desire this summer, they have to pay fees that other clubs will accept.

Do you agree, Toffees fans? Let us know below.