Report: Lille interested in Everton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg

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Maarten Stekelenburg did not make a single Premier League appearance for Everton last season so should jump at the chance to move to Ligue 1

In the modern game, it is common practice for a club to have one goalkeeper for league football and another for the cups.

So Maarten Stekelenburg might have been confident that he would still be a regular in the first-team when Everton paid £30 million to sign Jordan Pickford a year ago. But it didn’t exactly work out that way in the end.

35-year-old Stekelenburg ended the 2017/18 season with just three appearances. Two came in the Europa League, against Ruzomberok and Atalanta, with his only other outing against Sunderland in the EFL Cup in September.

But according to France Football, the 58-time Dutch international could be offered an escape route. It is understood that Ligue 1 outfit Lille want an experienced goalkeeper to compete with the often unconvincing number one Mike Maignan and sporting director Luis Campos is seriously considering Stekelenburg.

The lanky shot-stopper has already played in France, although he featured just once in league football for Monaco during a loan spell from Fulham in 2014/15. Stekelenburg has also represented Southampton, Roma and Ajax and featured in the 2010 World Cup final.

It remains to be seen whether Everton are willing to let Stekelenburg go, however, after seeing another goalkeeper in Joel Robles leave at the end of his contract.