Everton transfer news as Goodison Park scouts watch Matevž Vidovšek
Everton are said to be closely monitoring Olimpia Ljubljana’s highly-rated goalkeeper Matevž Vidovšek, according to RTV in Slovenia.
The report states that the 23-year-old is wanted by Udinese in Serie A with scouts from both clubs said to have watched the stopper in action as Olimpija beat Celje in a penalty shootout in the quarter-final of the Slovenian Cup.
Vidovšek was the hero, saving two spot kicks as his team progressed to the last four of the tournament.
Having notched up an impressive 17 clean sheets from 23 appearances in the Slovenian league, that form has brought the keeper to the attention of scouts around Europe.
Vidovšek was asked about reports linking him to Everton and Udinese, to which he responded: “I don’t deal with that. For me, the first place is Olimpija, to win the double crown, and then we will talk further.”
Although he is part of the Slovenian national team squad, Vidovšek is still uncapped at the senior level which could be problematic in obtaining a UK work permit, should a move to Merseyside materialise.
Reinforcements
Jordan Pickford will remain as Everton’s first-choice goalkeeper but his prominence as Gareth Southgate’s first choice between the posts for England will ensure that he continues to be mentioned as a possible target for other Premier League clubs.
Regardless of his status, the Toffees do need to bring in competition for Pickford with Asmir Begovic and Andy Lonergan not having time on their side. Neither option is seriously considered to be more than backup and this is a position that Sean Dyche is very likely to attend to, in the Summer.
The former Burnley boss will have several reinforcements on his agenda, but all of that and more will depend on securing Premier League survival in the coming weeks. That is the number one priority for all Evertonians with a sense of belief that Dyche can see the job through despite mixed results, including Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Of the eight remaining games this season, four are at home but two of those will come against high flying Manchester City and Newcastle United meaning that Everton will need to maximise their return of points on the road.
In other news, Everton player left ‘baffled’ by media speculation with stumbling block claim made.