Chelsea's Jordan Pickford pursuit only makes sense on ONE condition

Tom Weber

Updated: 2 May 2024 08:57 BST
9 min read

Chelsea are reportedly interested in Jordan Pickford.

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The Everton shot-stopper has had a good campaign on a personal level for the relegation-battling Toffees and he is among the final two contenders for this season's Premier League Golden Glove where he is up against Arsenal's David Raya.

The 30-year-old England number one has established himself as one of the Premier League's best in his position in recent years but his future on Merseyside looks uncertain, according to TBR Football. Everton are under severe economic stress due to the drawn-out nature of 777's takeover and the outlet claims that they may have to shed talent this summer to avoid yet again falling foul of Profit and Sustainability Rules.

One of the players potentially on the way out could be Pickford. It is claimed that Chelsea are 'huge admirers' of the goalkeeper and could make a move for him this summer. The Blues have been occasionally linked with goalkeepers this season - chiefly Aaron Ramsdale from Arsenal - due to the fact that summer signing Robert Sanchez has failed to impress.

The Spaniard has been replaced by fellow summer arrival Djordje Petrovic in recent months and the Serb has mostly done an admirable job, but he too has had his unconvincing moments and is likely not the long-term solution for Todd Boehly's ambitious Chelsea - but neither is Pickford.

© IMAGO - Jordan Pickford and James Tarkowski

Chelsea need long-term planning

Indeed, consulting data provided by SciSports, we can see that Pickford is only really a short to medium-term solution to Chelsea's goalkeeper problem. Surprisingly, this isn't down to his age. At 30, Pickford probably still has his best years ahead of him as a shot-stopper.

Rather, it's because of his ability. Though Pickford is a very reliable goalkeeper, he is not flawless and, according to SciSports, is not on the same level as the elite number ones at top Premier League sides. The analytics firm analyses hundreds of data points to calculate a SciSkill rating for players and Pickford ranks sixth among Premier League keepers.

David Raya, Ederson, Nick Pope, Allison and Emi Martinez all have a significantly higher rating than Pickford and SciSports do not think that the Englishman will improve in coming seasons. It is evident, however, that the Everton man would be the best goalkeeper at Chelsea (and seventh-best player overall) should he make the move.

Skill

Potential

Jordan Pickford
Djordje Petrovic

So if Chelsea really do feel that they need an upgrade in the goalkeeping position, they should consider Pickford, but only if they use the reprieve offered by his presence between the sticks to put a long-term succession plan in place. If they actually want to compete at the summit of the Premier League again, they will need a more elite player than Pickford.

The likes of Unai Simon, Mike Maignan and, perhaps the most intriguing suggestion, 22-year-old Lucas Chevalier at Lille would be better long-term options than Pickford and they are already deemed better shot-stoppers than the 30-year-old based on their current ability. Pickford would only be a short-term fix to a long-term problem at Chelsea.