An article in the Northern Echo on Friday suggested that the Blues were in pole position to land the 23-year-old in a £17million deal but while the Black Cats' former Goodison boss David Moyes publicly scoffed at the quoted price tag he privately fears that the club's relegation from the Premier League under his stewardship means the best he can hope for is to get a bigger fee for his brightest young prospect.
Pickford produced a goalkeeping masterclass to keep out Hull City on Saturday as Sunderland triumphed 2-0 at the KCOM Stadium – a result coupled with Everton's 1-0 defeat at Swansea City which saw the Yorkshire club drop into the relegation zone at the Welsh side's expense.
The display will have not gone unnoticed among Pickford's numerous admirers and the Telegraph reckon that the Blues – who have made finding a new number one a summer priority – will not have things all their own way when it comes to acquiring his services with Liverpool joined in the pursuit by Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham United.
Moyes said of Pickford: "At the moment, I really wouldn't know what the odds are on him staying.
"Obviously, it's up to the club, but if Jordan was to go elsewhere and not be the number one, that wouldn't be good for him.
“You can see what he does for us with the saves he makes. He's been outstanding from day one. The saves he made against Hull, they weren’t even special, he makes them all the time.”
Source: Liverpool Echo
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