MY ACCOUNT
Aston Villa will move for Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford if they lose their World Cup-winning stopper Emi Martinez.
The West Midlands outfit are readying themselves for an influx of January interest in their current No1, with 30-year-old Martinez one of Argentina’s standout performers in Qatar this winter.
His penalty-saving exploits against both the Netherlands and France received global acclaim and German giants Bayern Munich are one of several clubs said to be monitoring his availability.
Villa would love to retain Martinez but are expecting offers this month — and The Sun say Toffees stopper Pickford is top of their list of potential replacements.
Sunderland-born Pickford, 28, has been with Everton since 2017 and has kept an impressive 57 clean sheets in 215 outings during a testing period on the blue half of Merseyside.
Having faced plenty of scrutiny in his early career, the Three Lions regular has excelled for both club and country in recent times and is one of Gareth Southgate’s most trusted regulars.
Pickford’s current contract at Goodison Park expires next summer and terms over an extension are yet to be reached, suggesting a move is not out of the question.
Given he cost Everton £25million, losing the custodian on a free would be disastrous so a resolution to his future one way or the other appears imminent.
He played a pivotal role as Frank Lampard’s men earned a crucial point away to Manchester City on Saturday afternoon, hoisting them two points clear of the relegation zone.
In other news
Reports in Spain suggest Chelsea are ‘one step away’ from completing the signing of Benfica’s 21-year-old World Cup-winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
The father of Borussia Dortmund teen ace Jude Bellingham wants his son to snub Real Madrid and Manchester City to join Liverpool, according to Football Insider.
GiveMeSport claim Joao Felix is interested in a move to Manchester United, with the 23-year-old thought to be unsettled at Atletico Madrid.
