Jordan Pickford considers Everton exit amid takeover doubts as Chelsea eye transfer
Jordan Pickford has considered a possible Everton exit with Chelsea interested in a move for him if he were to leave, according to The Boot Room.
A report from Graeme Bailey on the outlet’s website on 1 May claims the star keeper “has thought about whether he should look for sides ready to compete on the bigger stages in the club game” despite currently being committed to the club.
With the 777 Partners takeover said to be “in doubt” despite claims around Farhad Moshiri to the contrary the Toffees may be forced to sell “at least one” big-money player in the summer, with Chelsea “big admirers” of the 30-year-old and monitoring him ahead of the transfer window in case be becomes available, as they are with Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale.
Therefore, the Stamford Bridge side could reportedly “try to tempt Everton into selling him this summer”, while European giants Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are all said to “appreciate” the England number one.
Would Jordan Pickford leave Everton?
If Pickford wanted to leave Goodison Park amid the struggles the club have been through the past few seasons he surely could have done so already.
He signed a new contract last season when Everton were in the thick of their now-obligatory relegation battle and has appeared as committed to the cause as anyone since then.
So unless something has changed and he is interested in challenging for honours in what might be the last big move of his career, it is hard to see him going anywhere.
The takeover uncertainty has cranked up a few notches this week and the financial situation which 777 are currently just about keeping at bay could dictate that high-profile sales are on the cards.
But if that is the case it seems more feasible that in-demand centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite might be sacrificed due to the huge fee he could command or, preferably if someone has to go, Amadou Onana given the Belgian isn’t currently starting for Sean Dyche and would arguably be the easiest to replace.
Additionally, if Pickford were interested in a move to Chelsea it would seem far less of an obvious one for him to make now than it would have done prior to Roman Abramovich’s exit.
So while it is hard to rule anything out at Everton at the moment it would be some departure from what has gone before for the goalkeeper to leave.
In other Everton news, a celebrity has teased an unlikely new Toffees signing in a surprise Dyche response.
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