Everton have been approached by Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur regarding a deal for Jordan Pickford, according to reports.
Is Jordan Pickford leaving Everton?
Pickford has firmly established himself as Sean Dyche’s number one between the sticks having started 37 of the 38 top-flight games last season, and whilst coming close to relegation, he was a standout performer on Merseyside.
The England international only signed a new contract back in February which keeps him at the club until at least 2027, but there had been prior speculation that he could have been set to depart if the Toffees had dropped to the Championship.
Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, CBS reporter and journalist Ben Jacobs claimed that there was an informal agreement in place that the 29-year-old could leave if relegated, with Spurs the “frontrunner” to secure his services having held a long-term interest, and that is something that they appear to have stepped up despite him surviving the drop.
Are Tottenham signing Pickford?
According to Football Transfers, Everton have been “contacted” by Tottenham to enquire about the possibility of a summer swoop for Pickford. The Lilywhites have been tracking the goalkeeper for “several months” and have now “started to make moves” for the 6 foot star.
The Goodison Park outfit have been approached by Spurs to “establish a dialogue”, and there have also already been “discussions” held between the player’s representatives and his admirers in N17.
The Blues have placed a £40m price tag on his head, but it’s claimed that before joining, he wants “reassurances” over who their new manager is going to be as well as if Harry Kane will remain in the capital beyond the upcoming window.
Should Everton sell Pickford?
Pickford has been dubbed Everton’s “leader” by journalist Josh Bunting having captained Dyche’s side on several occasions last season, and considering the positive impact he has on the club, the board should do everything they can to retain his services for the 2023/24 campaign.
The World Cup participant kept eight clean sheets in the top-flight during the previous term which saw him receive two man-of-the-match awards, not to mention that he made a total of 123 saves from 181 shots on target against, giving him a save success percentage of 71.3%, as per FBRef.
Toffees supporters also clearly hold a lot of admiration for Pickford having voted him the Player of the Year twice, first in 2017/18 and second in 2021/22, and the thought of losing him would be a huge blow which is why he needs to remain in the net on Merseyside.
