Everton fans will be keen for goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to commit his long-term future to the club, but he is yet to sign a new contract with the Blues.
And that should be considered 'a worry', according to journalist Paul Brown, who has suggested that there could be a 'problem' behind the scenes.
The noise out of Goodison Park was that England international Pickford had agreed a new five-year deal before the World Cup got underway in Qatar back in November, but there is still no confirmation that the 28-year-old has put pen to paper on a new deal. Pickford has 16 months left on his current contract and while he remains on it, other Premier League clubs could start circling for his services.
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Talking to GiveMeSport, Brown said: “The Pickford situation is a bit strange because there was a lot of noise around him pre-World Cup that his contract was basically done, all agreed, it just needed signing off and, for whatever reason, that hasn’t happened.
“Sometimes clubs get players signed and they just don’t announce it for a few months for whatever reason, but I do think, in this case, there is some kind of problem that we haven’t been fully informed of yet, which is a bit of a worry.”
Pickford has twice been declared Everton's player of the season, including the last campaign when his brilliant saves helped stave off relegation. But his form for the Blues, and for England, means he has been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, who could all be in the market for a new No.1 come the summer.
Everton and their supporters remain hopeful that the Blues' brilliant start under new manager Sean Dyche can help convince Pickford that his long-term future remains on Merseyside.
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