Everton ready to spend £5m plus extras to sign Mike Cooper
Everton are set to reinforce their goalkeeping ranks this summer.
The Blues have England number one Jordan Pickford as their starting stopper but have little depth behind the former Sunderland man.
The likes of Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia both departed at the end of their contracts, leaving a gaping hole for the backup spot.
David Moyes is expected to address the position in the transfer market.
Everton ready to swoop for Cooper
The Toffees have been linked heavily with Michael Cooper from Sheffield United.
Alan Nixon reported (6 July) via his Patreon that the Blues are willing to £5million plus add-ons on the Blades goalkeeper.
However, he states that Ruben Selles' side wants more than that, and the player is in no rush to make a move unless he is playing regularly.
Cooper may not want to move to Everton
Any goalkeeper that comes into the Merseyside club is not going to want to sit on the bench every week but that is the reality while Pickford is there.
Cooper would be a brilliant addition for Moyes and Co as he was the standout performer of the Blades' run to the Championship play-off final, keeping 23 clean sheets in 46 appearances.
| Stats (Championship) | Cooper |
| Matches | 46 |
| Clean sheets | 23 |
| Goals conceded | 35 |
| Minutes played | 4,140 |
That earned him the Player of the Season award and his experience and potential make him an ideal candidate to eventually replace Pickford when the time comes.
However, whether he will want to move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, where he is unlikely to start regularly for the foreseeable future, remains to be seen.
Begovic and Virginia did not make an appearance in the Premier League last season, with the Three Lions star featuring in all 38 matches, meaning that Cooper would likely have the same fate if he joined.
The opportunity may attract him and Everton may frame it as a competition, but the reality is that Pickford is the starter until he declines in a few years time.
It is a gamble for Cooper and whether he is willing to make the move, or would rather remain with his current club, where he will start each week, only he knows.
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