Man Utd ready £45m Jordan Pickford bid - and Everton could be forced into selling
Everton are strapped for cash and may have to let Jordan Pickford go in the summer transfer window, with Manchester United lining up a bid for the England keeper to replace David de Gea
Manchester United are preparing a £45million bid for Jordan Pickford.
The England keeper is top of Erik ten Hag’s list of potential replacements for David de Gea as the Spaniard’s contract stalemate continues.
De Gea, 32, has only a fortnight left on his deal and has so far refused to extend his stay for another two years - and accept a huge pay cut in the process.
United want to slash De Gea’s weekly wages from £375,000 to just £200,000.
But the club’s frustration over the whether he will commit his future to a 14th season at Old Trafford could soon become irrelevant - if they bring in Pickford, 29, instead.
Ten Hag has identified the Toffees number one, with 53 England caps, as the best option going between the posts - from being an excellent shot-stopper to his brilliant distribution.
That ability to play out from the back is particularly key and would be a major upgrade on De Gea, who has persistently struggled when it comes to adapting to the United manager’s passing philosophy.
The fact that Everton survived the drop last season has failed to improve their financial plight - and Goodison boss Sean Dyche knows he must raise cash to help balance the books.
The club have the biggest wage bill outside the top six despite battling against relegation for the last two seasons.
United hope to exploit that situation with an opening £45m bid for Three Lions ace Pickford in the next week, convinced the Merseysiders will be forced into business.
Pickford, on £100,000 a week, would double that with his basic salary at United. He is also interesting Tottenham but the lure of Champions League football gives the Reds a significant advantage.
As for Premier League Golden Glove winner De Gea, United are expected to trigger a year’s option on his existing contract - and then sell him to the highest bidder in the window.
The alternative, if they do land Pickford, is to remove their highest-earner De Gea off the wage bill - and let him go on a free.