Transfer rumor roundup 6/13: Everton close to Pickford deal
By Nick Pitner
Here’s a roundup of the latest news and transfer rumors surrounding which players could be joining new teams in the coming months.
Tuesday’s transfer news is headlined by the Telegraph’s report that Everton are close to signing Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The 23-year-old was one of few bright spots in a Sunderland side that succumbed to relegation, and that move down has him poised to leave the club this summer.
Despite playing in only 29 games, Pickford finished second in the Premier League with 135 saves this past season, when he also kept four clean sheets.
With promising distribution skills as well, Pickford is seen by Everton boss Ronald Koeman as his team’s long-term solution at goalkeeper. This past season, the Toffees alternated between 34-year-old Maarten Stekelenberg and Joel Robles in goal.
According to the report, negotiations over Pickford have intensified lately, leaving Everton confident of securing his services.
The Toffees are said to be willing to meet Sunderland’s firm £30 million valuation of Pickford, who would then undergo a medical once he returns from the U-21 Euros in Poland.
Another goalkeeper that was thought to be on the move was Arsenal’s David Ospina.
However, as Sport Witness relays, Turkish outlet ASpor reports his impending transfer to Fenerbahce has been scuppered by Arsenal raising their sale terms at the last minute.
Stuck behind Petr Cech the past two seasons, Ospina has performed admirably when called upon, but is understandably seeking regular first-team action elsewhere.
The Colombian No. 1 is believed to have already settled on a contract with Fenerbahce, who seemed prepared to meet Arsenal’s initial demands, but after the Gunners altered their asking price, the Turkish club could now pursue other options.
Speaking of Arsenal, the Telegraph reports they’ve been in talks with Lyon over striker Alexandre Lacazette.
The subject of two bids from the Gunners last summer, Lacazette was poised to join Atletico Madrid this summer until the Spanish club’s transfer ban was upheld.
That ruling has opened the door for other clubs to pursue the Frenchman, who has bagged 76 Ligue 1 goals over the last three seasons.
The report claims Arsenal are eyeing Lacazette as a fall-back plan in the likely situation that their pursuit of Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe fails to bear fruit.
Should the London club indeed turn to Lacazette, they’ve been quoted an initial fee of €55 million from Lyon, who would also seek €12 million in add-ons to sell their star forward.
With Lacazette’s future uncertain, Lyon are on the verge of bolstering their striking options by signing Bertrand Traore from Chelsea, L’Equipe reports.
Next: Tottenham summer transfer needs: Keeping the band together
The two clubs have apparently been in negotiations over a transfer since their respective seasons ended and could complete a deal before long.
While they’ve yet to reach an agreement on the bonus structure of the transaction, Lyon believe they could come to personal terms with Traore by the end of this week.
Loaned to Ajax this past season, the 21-year-old Traore tallied nine goals and two assists in the Eredivisie and scored four times with four assists in the Europa League.
Elsewhere, the Champions League runner-ups are also eyeing an attacker, as Goal reports Juventus have circled Douglas Costa as a summer target.
The Brazilian winger fell out of favor under new Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti this past season, starting just 14 Bundesliga matches.
After such inactivity, Costa is ready for a new challenge and Bayern are believed to be open to selling him.
The report states Juventus are willing to offer around €35 million for the 26-year-old, and their business history with Bayern could help push a deal through.
Along with Juve selling Arturo Vidal and Kinglsey Coman to Bayern in recent years, Bayern sold Juve defender Medhi Benatia last summer.
Should Costa be the next player to go from Munich to Turin, he’d add an exciting option to manager Massimiliano Allegri’s stable of wide players.