Manchester United are set to bid £45m for Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the summer transfer window with David de Gea’s future still unclear, according to Daily Star Sunday.
United have been linked with several goalkeepers including Andre Onana, Diogo Costa, Dominik Livakovic, and Bart Verbruggen as Erik Ten Hag looks to bring in a top-class shot-stopper, however, Pickford has emerged as a serious transfer target.
The newspaper claims De Gea has refused to extend his contract which expires at the end of this month. The Spain international currently earns £375,000 a week but the club wants to reduce it to £200,000.
De Gea is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League following his impressive performance for Man Utd over the past decade.
The 32-year-old joined Man United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 under Sir Alex Ferguson. He helped Diego Simeone’s side win the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup during his time in Spain. He made a total appearance of 84 and kept 23 clean sheets in all competitions.
At United, he has racked up 545 appearances across all competitions and kept 190 clean sheets. Last season, he played a key role in helping Ten Hg’s outfit win the Carabao Cup and secure Champions League qualification. He featured in 58 games and kept 25 clean sheets across all competitions.
Replacement
Ten Hag signed Jack Butland from Crystal Palace on loan in January to provide competition to De Gea but the England international did not make any competitive appearance for the club before leaving at the end of the season.
Despite being one of the best players for Man United last season and winning the Premier League’s Golden Glove award, De Gea made four mistakes leading to goals. Ten Hag is said to be planning to phase him out, therefore he would need a world-class shot-stopper to take over the No. 1 spot next season.
According to Daily Star Sunday, Everton are struggling financially and would have to balance their books by selling some of their big-name players to raise funds and United are ready to rest the water by making an official £45m bid for Pickford in the coming week. Man Utd are also ready to double Pickford’s wages to £200,000-a-week if he moves to Old Trafford.
The England goalkeeper made 38 appearances across all competitions and kept eight clean sheets as he helped Sean Dyche’s side escape relegation from the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth on the final day of the season.
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