Everton close in on stunning £30m deal for new goalkeeper

Everton are on the verge of agreeing a sensational £30m deal for Sunderland ace Jordan Pickford, reports The Daily Telegraph.

Ronald Koeman has earmarked Pickford as a top transfer target this summer after switching between Joel Robles and Maarten Stekelenburg between the sticks throughout last season.

However, the two clubs have been quite a way apart in their valuation of Pickford but negotiations have advanced in the last 24 hours and Everton are confident they can complete a deal before the end of the month.

Pickford, 23, is currently away with the England U21s for the European Championships in Poland and is poised to complete a medical when he returns from international duty as Everton look to make the Sunderland goalkeeper one of the club’s most expensive players of all-time.

Everton shelled out in the region of £30m to bring Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea in 2014 and it is a statement of how highly Koeman rates Pickford that he is willing to sanction a similar deal for the young goalkeeper.

It would also make Pickford the third most expensive goalkeeper in the history of football and it does raise questions about Everton’s ability to negotiate given Sunderland’s bargaining hand would have diminished significantly after they were relegated to the Championship last season.

Pickford was one of very few positives for an abysmal Sunderland outfit last season, finishing the 2016/17 campaign in the WhoScored Premier League team of the season (7.04).

For more stats on Jordan Pickford, click here to visit his WhoScored player page