Everton: Joao Virginia hints at Goodison Park exit after summer move blocked
Joao Virginia has hinted he could move away from Everton in the near future after the club made the decision to keep him at Goodison Park last summer.
The goalkeeper confessed that his ultimate goal is to become the first-choice keeper at a big club, but said, for now, his focus remains on waiting out the rest of the season.
He also admitted he knew he would have to make the most of limited opportunities thanks to Jordan Pickford’s role in the team, and his role this season is going as planned.
Speaking to Portuguese news outlet Bola Branca [5 March], Virginia shared: “This year they decided they wanted me to stay at the club.
“Staying, I already knew that, having England’s number 1 goalkeeper in the squad, I would be playing in the cups and waiting for something to happen, but the season is going well, in a way it is going as planned.
“I’ve already played in four different leagues, so I’m improving and, from now on, my goal is to play more and more and become a starting goalkeeper at a big club. For now, it’s just a matter of waiting and seeing what happens until the end of the season.”
Joao Virginia could be headed for Everton exit door
The life of a second-choice goalkeeper will understandably be a frustrating one, particularly as Virginia has shared his goal of eventually becoming the first-choice somewhere, as he later admitted he wants to play for the Portuguese national team.
That goal is not something he will achieve while playing second-fiddle to England’s number one in Jordan Pickford, as he is forced to pick up scraps in the occasional cup game, although it was Pickford who was favoured in the Carabao Cup run.
After the goalkeeper sent a message to new arrival Beto when he signed for Everton in the summer, it can be assumed that he played an important role in helping the striker settle at Finch Farm, but off-field duties will be the least of his aspirations.
The decision was made in the summer to keep him in as the backup to Pickford, and while that may appeal to Everton given their financial situation, there seems to be a strong possibility Virginia will leave this summer.
In other Everton news, Gary Lineker could not believe what he saw at Goodison.
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