Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez reportedly wants to pull off a sensational move for Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford
A report in The Sun has suggested that Newcastle United are plotting a sensational move for Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford as they prepare for their return to the Premier League.
The Sun reports that Magpies boss Rafa Benitez wants a budget of £100 million this summer following their promotion out of the Championship, and plans to target the Black Cats stopper if he gets the funds he is looking for.
The 23-year-old has been excellent throughout the campaign at the Stadium of Light despite the club’s relegation from the top flight, and unsurprisingly has a long list of admirers.
The Sun suggests that Everton remain favourites to win the race for Pickford’s signature, but Newcastle are ready to compete against the Toffees, Manchester City, Arsenal and West Ham, and want to offer the stopper a contract worth £75,000 a week.
Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez
However, it appears that they face a huge task trying to convince Pickford to come to St James’ Park, and not just because of the list of clubs chasing his signature.
In a recent interview on Sky Sports 1 (broadcast from 12:30pm, April 9, 2017), Pickford claimed that he would never play for Newcastle due to his allegiances to his current club, so it would clearly require a massive u-turn for a deal to take place.
But with Pickford proving to be one of the finds of the season across the entire Premier League this term, it is no surprise that Newcastle appear determined to try and tempt him into an unlikely deal.
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