Chelsea are reportedly set to keep a close eye on Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during the upcoming World Cup as they consider a swoop for the England stopper.
The Blues are apparently keen on signing a new goalkeeper sooner rather than later with previous number one Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga having yet to leave new boss Graham Potter particularly convinced.
According to The Sun, Chelsea have a few candidates on their shopping list. Potter’s priority is reportedly Brentford’s David Raya - the Spaniard having impressed in his time across West London, his performances having been good enough to earn a place in his nation’s World Cup squad.
However, he is expected to cost a considerable amount with Brentford not anticipating to sell the former Blackburn Rovers stopper on the cheap. That has led Chelsea to look for alternatives.
One of those is apparently Pickford. The current Everton keeper has regularly excelled for Three Lions despite his indifferent form at Goodison Park since his arrival from Sunderland in 2017.
The 28-year-old has accumulated 45 caps for England since his debut and played a huge role in the Three Lions reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, whilst he also performed admirably in their run to the Euro 2020 final. Chelsea will aim to get a better idea of his specific abilities by keeping a close eye on him during the upcoming World Cup.
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Should the Blues elect to make a move for Pickford then he could be considerably cheaper than Raya. He has just a year-and-a-half remaining on his current contract with Everton, whilst the Toffees financial troubles could see them cash-in on his services should they be offered a fair amount.
They could face a considerable amount of interest in his services though. Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Pickford as they attempt to find a long-term successor for current captain Hugo Lloris.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have been linked with a move amid doubts over the future of David De Gea. Everton boss Frank Lampard has confirmed that contract talks will be triggered sooner rather than later.
Speaking earlier this season, he said: "It's something we want to do. We want to get the right solution."
In his time at Everton, Pickford has gone on to make 213 appearances for the club. He has just three clean sheets in 14 Premier League outings this term but is expected to be England’s number one stopper in Qatar despite competition from Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope.
