Arsenal line up Pickford bid?
In the run up to the January transfer window, the rumours of players coming to Arsenal are well underway. So far we’ve been linked mainly with attack minded players, with the likes of Payet and Draxler being the main media interests. However today’s link comes from a defensive player.
Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is being linked with the Gunners today, with the Arsenal bosses supposedly considering if a new goalkeeper is needed in the squad. Sunderland don’t have the greatest defensive record in the league, with the Black Cats actually in real danger of relegation. However one of their star players is goalkeeper Pickford, who has on more than one occasion saved the day for Sunderland.
Pickford, 22 years old, has risen to fame in the Premier League this season, so much so that he’s been hovering on the fringes of international football with England. The report suggests that Arsenal have enquired to Sunderland about the sale of one of the biggest young goalkeeping talents on the market at the moment. No fee has supposedly been agreed, but it is understood that Arsenal would be intending to loan the player back to Sunderland for the remainder of the season.
The report has come around after some concerns have been shown regarding current goalkeeper Petr Cech’s fall in form. Cech hasn’t had many performances to be proud of this season, although of course he isn’t totally responsible for the Gunners poor defensive record. A run of eight games without a clean sheet is Cech’s worse ever run in the league and I think despite remaining adamant he can play at the top for several more years to come, it could be argued that his level of play is slowly beginning to fall with age. We must not forget that Cech is 34 now and although he is definitely still one of the best keepers in the league and in Europe, would it soon be worth investing in another keeper for the future?
Personally I’ve always been a big fan of Stoke’s Jack Butland and I thought that Arsenal may take up an interest in signing him with long term prospects ahead. However Pickford may be as equally interesting in terms of thinking about the future and with the futures of Szczesny and Ospina in doubt, perhaps one of these young English keepers could be wearing the Arsenal number one shirt for many years to come!
By AH