Everton set to make £15 million move for Sunderland shot-stopper Jordan Pickford

Premier League side Everton are set to make a £15 million bid for Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, yet may need to double that to get their man according to The Newcastle Chronicle.

The 23-year-old has been a rare bright spark in a miserable Premier League campaign for the Black Cats, which has seen them lose their status as a top-flight club having won just six of their 37 league games.

Yet shot-stopper Pickford, an England Under-21 international who has had experience around the senior team in the last 12 months, has earned many plaudits for a string of impressive displays between the sticks for David Moyes’ side, with it arguable that they would have been relegated sooner if it weren’t for a combination of him and striker Jermain Defoe.

And, unsurprisingly given Sunderland will be playing Championship football next season, the £4.3 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) has attracted much interest from those sides near the top of the Premier League, one of which being Ronald Koeman’s Everton, who look set to turn their interest into an offer.

The Toffees are reportedly set to make a £15 million offer for the 23-year-old shot-stopper, yet The Newcastle Chronicle report that the Black Cats are looking for over double that, a fee closer to the world record £33 million Juventus paid for Gianluigi Buffon back in 2001.

Koeman has seen current goalkeeping options Joel Robles and Maarten Stekelenburg fail to nail down the number one spot this term with several unconvincing displays, so Pickford would likely achieve first team football at Goodison Park as he looks to continue developing as a top-quality shot-stopper.

However, it appears that Sunderland will fight hard to get the right price for the 23-year-old, but what does seem clear is that Pickford won’t be playing his trade at the Stadium of Light next season.