After six years failed deal Chelsea set to sign Roman Abramovich transfer target for Pochettino – report
Chelsea could finally secure a long-standing transfer target of Roman Abramovich, Jordan Pickford, this summer to address their goalkeeping issues. The future of the England goalkeeper reportedly depends on Everton’s business strategy as they seek to alleviate their well-known financial problems.
Despite securing their Premier League status, Everton may need to offload one or two key players to avoid further profit and sustainability issues. Pickford, who has three years left on his contract, is one of the Toffees’ most valuable assets.
Chelsea might be in the market for a new goalkeeper in the upcoming summer transfer window. Robert Sanchez has struggled and was subsequently benched in the months following his move from Brighton at the start of the season.
Djordje Petrovic, another Chelsea signing last year, has stepped in for Sanchez and performed commendably. However, there is a general consensus that the Blues could improve on the pair, with Kepa Arrizabalaga unlikely to remain at Stamford Bridge upon his return from loan at Real Madrid.
Therefore, Chelsea might be optimistic about signing Pickford, whose future at Everton is uncertain. According to Fabrizio Romano, the 30-year-old’s situation is one to watch closely, reports the Express.
Despite being the first-choice goalkeeper for England since 2018, Pickford has yet to secure a spot with one of the Premier League’s elite clubs. He moved to Everton in 2017 and, despite occasional rumours linking him to Chelsea and Manchester United, he has stayed put at Goodison Park, nearing a milestone of 300 appearances.
Back in 2018, The Sun reported that ex-Chelsea owner Abramovich had his sights set on Pickford as a potential successor to Thibaut Courtois, who was Madrid-bound at the time. Jack Butland, another of Pickford’s England colleagues, was also on Chelsea’s radar.
However, neither transfer materialised. Butland remained at Stoke City for three more years before signing with Crystal Palace, while Chelsea ended up landing Kepa, who now looks likely to be replaced come summer.
Kepa made a temporary switch to Real following an injury to Courtois, but after losing his starting position to Andriy Lunin, it seems improbable that Real will retain him. The once record-breaking £72m Chelsea signing is set to return to Stamford Bridge this summer, with questions hanging over his future.
After his move to Real last year, Kepa took a veiled swipe at Mauricio Pochettino, sharing with Spanish press: “It’s true that Pochettino wanted me to stay. He told me that I was going to play, that he trusted me. But I thought that a change would be good for me, I wanted a change.”