England regular comes into focus to solve Antonio Conte’s problem at Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur are considering their long-term goalkeeper options and England and Everton stopper Jordan Pickford is on their radar, claims a report.
New Spurs boss Antonio Conte is well aware that Hugo Lloris’ contract is running down. The French keeper has just seven months left on his deal and he can negotiate with foreign clubs in January. Lloris has skippered Spurs all season and he has continued to do so in Conte’s two matches at the helm.
However, it’s understood Lloris has yet to be offered a new contract.
In September the 34-year-old told the Evening Standard: “There’s nothing from the club [about a contract].”
And now The Telegraph report that Conte is looking at British goalkeepers and Pickford is on his list.
The report claims the Italian coach is looking for a home-grown keeper to either compete with or replace Lloris next season.
England keeper Pickford, 27, is “in the frame” as Conte looks to build his team from the back.
Sunderland-born Pickford will have two seasons remaining on his deal at Goodison Park this summer. The England No.1 penned a six year deal with Everton in 2018 after arriving from Sunderland in 2017.
Pickford was a £30m signing, including add-ons, and Everton would want to make a profit on the player, who has established himself at Gareth Southgate’s top man.
Rafa Benitez would be loathed to sell Pickford. But Everton struggled to add to their squad in the summer due to FFP rules.
A surprised Benitez spent just £1.8m on Demarai Gray and in September, he said: “We didn’t spend a lot of money, but we had good signings. It could be better, yes, because if you have more money you can do it, but the financial fair play rules were killing us in this window.
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Everton to cash in on Pickford?
“I was not expecting (this) at the beginning because I was thinking maybe we could sell some players and then we could do well in the window.
“Hopefully in the next window it will be different, but the players we brought in were players that we needed.”
The sale of Pickford would generate significant funds and see his £100,000-plus- a-week deal removed from the books.
What’s clear is that Conte will need a new goalkeeper, regardless of whether Lloris remains or goes.
Spurs signed Pierluigi Gollini in the last transfer window on a season-long loan from Atalanta. Fabio Paratici negotiated an option to buy the 26-year-old. But so far he has made just three starts in the Europa Conference League and is yet to keep a clean sheet.
READ MORE: Shock transfer link sees Tottenham ponder move for West Ham talisman
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