Jordan Pickford has had a season to forget for Everton but will Carlo Ancelotti’s Toffees bring Trabzonspor ‘keeper Ugurcan Cakir to the Premier League?
Everton sent scouts to watch Trabzonspor goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir in action over the weekend, according to Fotospor, while concerns rise about Jordan Pickford’s increasingly error-prone displays at Goodison Park.
If you ranked the English goalkeepers who have played regularly in the Premier League this season, where would the Toffees’ £30 million glovesman sit on the list?
You could certainly make the claim that Dean Henderson, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale, Ben Foster and even Tom Heaton – before his campaign-ending injury that is – have all outshone Pickford over the last seven months.
The former Sunderland favourite made another high-profile mistake last time out, letting Christian Benteke’s tepid daisy-cutter slip through his arms, with arguably the 2018 World Cup’s stand-out goalkeeper struggling to shake off a poor run of form.
With reports suggesting that Cakir, the £17 million-rated Turkish international, has emerged as a potential target for the Toffees, Pickford faces potentially the most important three-month spell of his club career.
After all, Cakir is rapidly emerging as one of Europe’s most exciting young shot-stoppers with his performances for Trabzonspor catching the eye of clubs all over the continent.
According to Sadi Tekelioglu, the former Trabzonspor coach, Cakir has the potential to start between the sticks for Barcelona or Real Madrid sooner rather than later (Ajansspor).
A move to Everton, however, would see Pickford face a genuine battle for his shirt for the first time since he arrived at Goodison Park three years ago.
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