Jordan Pickford’s Everton future in doubt with Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United on alert
Jordan Pickford’s Everton future has been thrown into doubt amid a surprise delay to his new deal from the Toffees board, according to the Daily Mail.
The England number one is apparently ready to commit to a new long-term contract at Goodison Park, and manager Frank Lampard wants to keep him.
But the Mail report says: “We understand the delay is at boardroom level, and not with the player. Sources have expressed surprise that the contract remains with the club’s owners, when a swift resolution had been expected before Pickford left for Qatar.”
Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham have all now asked to be kept informed of the situation and reportedly believe that a deal could be done for the 28-year-old.
He currently has 18-months left on his Everton contract but has attracted interest from the Premier League giants, all of whom have unresolved goalkeeping situations.
The Mail do report that the “likelihood” remains that Pickford’s extension get the green light but as yet no reason has been given for the delay, which has increased the hopes of interested parties.
Uncertainty
Confusion around a key player, both on the pitch and in the dressing room, is the last thing that Everton need right now with results poor and another relegation battle looming.
The former Sunderland man wore the armband for the heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Wolves on Boxing Day (26 December), demonstrating his importance to Lampard.
There surely has to be a reason for the hold up if the player and the manager are both on board and there was an expectation that the situation would be wrapped up weeks ago.
Whether it is a financial issue or a feeling in the boardroom that Pickford is not worth the investment, the lack of clarity either way does the club no good.
Speculation will only grow without a resolution being found soon, and while a January exit seems unlikely whatever happens, the longer Pickford plays on without signing a new contract the more likely a summer departure would become.
The defeat on the return from the World Cup was the opposite of what Lampard, or the fans, will have wanted, and questions around a key player on top will contribute to a worrying atmosphere around the club.