In a recent report, The Sun stated that Everton star Jordan Pickford could be solid amid interest from Manchester United this summer. It is understood that the Toffees could be forced to sell the English keeper to balance their books which could open the door for the Red Devils to land him in this off-season.
Pickford’s Difficult Season At Goodison Park
Pickford had a tough campaign at Merseyside recently as he struggled to find consistency in goal for the Toffees in the Premier League. The English sensation made 38 appearances for Everton last season, shipping in 60 goals and securing eight clean sheets in the process across various competitions.
The 29-year-old deserves some credit for averaging 0.9 clearances and 7.9 long balls per game in the Premier League. However, his ball distribution was far from convincing as he completed only 51.8% of his attempted passes in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
Pickford is under contract at Goodison Park until the summer of 2027. Therefore, Man United will have to make a good offer if they want to recruit him before the start of the new season.
Should Manchester United Boss Erik Ten Hag Move In For Pickford?
Pickford can be a safe pair of hands in goal when he is playing with confidence on the pitch. He has got good reflexes that help him pull off a few solid saves at the back.
The English custodian is a decent handler of the ball and doesn’t mind coming out of his penalty area to clear the danger when needed. However, as mentioned earlier, he has to find a way to improve his passing accuracy if he wants to taste success at the highest level.
At 29, Pickford might still have a few good years left in him to play at his best. He has got a wealth of Premier League experience under his belt and won’t take much time to settle into life at Old Trafford. However, he is far too inconsistent to be a first-choice keeper at Man United, so the Red Devils would be wise to not move in for him this summer.
With all things considered, Erik ten Hag would be better off opting for a more proven keeper than Pickford if he wants his team to challenge for more honours in the future.