According to reports in The Sun, Everton have been joined by West Ham United in the race to sign Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The 23-year-old has attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs – including the Toffees, Arsenal and Manchester City – after some outstanding performances for the Black Cats this season, and now the Irons have joined the battle for his signature.

Despite the fact that they are bottom of the table and look to be heading towards the Championship, Pickford has quickly become one of the most coveted players in the top flight after making a string of brilliant saves for David Moyes’ men this term, and could be available for around £15m if the Mackems do go down.

The stopper received a first call up to the senior England squad in October, and he has been tipped to go on to become a regular for the Three Lions in the future.

Here are three reasons Everton must win the race for the highly-rated goalkeeper…

Koeman needs a goalkeeper

With neither Maarten Stekelenburg nor Joel Robles looking particularly comfortable between the sticks for Everton this season, Koeman will be looking for a new number one this summer.

The latter was at fault for Marc Albrighton’s free-kick in his side’s 4-2 win against Leicester City after misjudging the flight of the ball, while he also came under scrutiny from supporters for his performance in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool.

Koeman will want a more reliable number one next term if the club are to push on to the next level, and Pickford has the potential to be the long-term answer to the issue.

He commands his area

While both Joel Robles and Maarten Stekelenburg have looked shaky at times and have struggled to have a real command of their area – as shown by the Marc Albrighton goal the former conceded against Leicester City on Sunday – Pickford is the opposite.

The Sunderland stopper will come out and collect or the punch the ball if needed, while he has showed his awareness to danger on a number of occasions – including when he beat Zlatan Ibrahimovic to clear the ball during his side’s defeat to Manchester United at the weekend.

Price tag

While they have more money to spend in the transfer market following the arrival of Farhad Moshiri, Everton still pride themselves on being a club that like to get value for money when they buy players.

The fact that Pickford would be available for £15m would certainly mean that he is an attractive proposition for the Merseyside outfit, who know that the 23-year-old could be their first choice goalkeeper for a number of years to come.

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