Sean Dyche faces critical Jordan Pickford dilemma at Everton as £30m exit development emerges
One pivotal Everton player is attracting the interest of Manchester United this summer and his departure could leave Sean Dyche in a real state of flux in the transfer window.
According to newspaper journalist Alan Nixon reporting on his Patreon account on Sunday (11 June), Man United are interested in signing Jordan Pickford, regardless of whether David De Gea leaves Old Trafford or not.
It is understood that Erik ten Hag is desperate to have a new goalkeeper on his books to either rival De Gea or replace him next season as he looks to bolster his squad.
According to Nixon, Everton would be willing to sell the England international for £30m this summer.
The Toffees are in desperate need of elite sales this summer in order to comply with FFP regulations and to balance their books ahead of next summer, which is why key stars such as Pickford and Amadou Onana have been tipped for big-money moves in recent weeks.
Farhad Moshiri’s reckless spending over the years has led to the Blues going into yet another transfer window knowing that they cannot spend too much money without having to balance the books.
While selling Pickford makes sense from a financial perspective at Goodison Park, on the sporting side it is a foolish and irresponsible piece of business given his irreplaceable nature at the club and the potential difficulties of finding a quality replacement ahead of next season.
The England international single-handedly won points on his own throughout last campaign as Everton narrowly avoided relegation, and finding a keeper with similar match-saving qualities is incredibly expensive in today’s market which the Toffees simply cannot afford.
If Dyche is to properly rebuild this dire and lacklustre Everton squad, it would need to be led by a number of his key performers and entertaining offers for Pickford could leave the former Burnley boss in a very awkward and critical spot heading into the new campaign.
£30m for Pickford is a joke and an offer which will insult Everton’s spending and selling power in the market which could well have damaging repercussions in the long run if the Blues are to drag themselves into becoming a great Premier League side again.
The England international committed his long-term future to Everton in February, amidst all the difficulties and unrest which emerged at the club signalling Pickford’s loyalty and commitment to the Goodison cause, and the Everton board will be incredibly silly to take that loyalty for granted by listening to such offers this summer.
Selling Pickford is a no-go zone. What message will that send to Dyche and his future plans at Goodison?