According to reports in The Sun, Everton have made a £10m bid for Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, but the Mackems won’t let him go for less than £30m according to The Express.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Toffees boss Ronald Koeman is determined to sign a new number one this summer with both Maarten Stekelenburg and Joel Robles failing to convince the Dutchman that they have the quality to be the long-term option between the sticks, and he is keen on Pickford.
The 23-year-old enjoyed an outstanding season for David Moyes’ men despite the Wearside outfit suffering relegation to the Championship, and he is understood to be a target for a number of top flight sides with Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and West Ham United all registering an interest.
While the Merseyside outfit are ready to offer £10m, Moyes wants to recoup at least £30m from his former side for one on his best players in order to help him build a promotion-winning team.
How good has Pickford been?
He has been excellent.
Because Sunderland have been so poor defensively throughout the campaign he has had plenty to do – Pickford has made an average of 3.69 saves per game in his 26 Premier League appearances this term – but he has often stood up between the sticks to try and help his club pick up results.
His latest impressive showing came in his side’s 2-0 win against Hull City at the KCOM Stadium on Saturday, where he helped his side pick up a rare clean sheet.
Will Everton pay £30m?
They certainly won’t want to, no.
Koeman may not want to blow that much of his transfer budget on a goalkeeper, but on the other hand he will know that Pickford could be Everton number one for the next 10 years if things go to plan and could therefore be a worthwhile investment.
What’s the verdict, then?
Well, the most likely outcome is that Everton will refuse to pay £30m and a compromise of nearer £20m will be found.
However, if Sunderland refuse to budge then the Toffees could easily switch their attentions elsewhere.
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