Chelsea eye England World Cup hero to replace wantaway Belgian

As Chelsea prepare to lose first choice keeper Thibaut Courtois this summer, Sky Sports are now reporting that Jordan Pickford is at the top of their wish list to replace the Belgian.

The Everton stopper’s England understudy Jack Butland has also been suggested to be a target for the London club, along with Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel, but Pickford is believed to be their preference.

The former Sunderland man only moved to Goodison Park a year ago for a fee of £30m but in what was a difficult season for the Toffees the goalkeeper was named as the club’s Player of the Year by both the fans and his teammates.

Pickford’s stock has risen since too, impressing as The Three Lions marched to the semi-finals of the World Cup with a number of eye-catching saves, not to mention his heroics in the penalty shoot-out victory over Colombia.

Ironically the England man was subject of ridicule from the man he is being lined up to replace over the summer, having conceded a goal against Belgium that Courtois stated he ‘would have caught’ let alone saved.