Manchester United are preparing to move for England No 1 Jordan Pickford if David de Gea heads through the exit door this summer.
Negotiations over a new contract for the Spaniard, who arrived at Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid back in 2011, have been ongoing with his current £375,000 deal expiring at the end of this season. And while the 32-year-old appears keen to stay at Old Trafford, the caveats of having to take a wage cut - and no guarantee over a starting berth - are proving stumbling blocks.
And debate over his future was reignited after a poor display in United's Europa League exit in Sevilla, and then his glaring error on Sunday culminated in United losing 1-0 at West Ham. The mistake came in the same week that Porto keeper Diogo Costa was linked to United, but now Erik ten Hag has further ramped up his search.
According to the Daily Star , the Dutch boss has also been tracking Anderlecht keeper Bart Verbruggen, but has now turned his attention to Pickford. The Everton stopper was in mercurial form on Monday as his side bagged a crucial win over Brighton.
The 29-year-old signed a new deal at Goodison Park earlier this season, committing himself at the club until 2027. But should Sean Dyche's men drop out of the top flight, it is inconceivable that their prize asset till stay with Euro 2024 little over 12 months away.
And even if The Toffees - now two points clear of the bottom three - do stay up then Pickford is likely to be offered a significant increase in wages if United swoop. Despite two successive losses, the Red Devils also remain on course for a return to the Champions League next season and are in a better position to secure silverware, another two potential lures.
Pickford has won 52 caps for his country, and long been established as Gareth Southgate's first choice despite often fluctuating club form. But he's been a pivotal figure in Everton's recent renaissance, making a string of saves at the Amex as his team prevailed 5-1.
But one Manchester United icon has warned against the prospect of replacing De Gea, arguing there is no one better than him available to the club. Treble winner Dwight Yorke said: "I have not seen any outstanding goalkeepers that are far greater than David de Gea.
"So I wouldn't swap him for anyone at the moment, even with the mistakes he's made recently. I really don't think there's many better goalkeepers in the world than De Gea. Is David Raya (Brentford) better than De Gea? I don't think so."
