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According to reports in The Sun, Everton have been joined by West Ham United in the race to sign Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The 23-year-old has attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs – including the Toffees, Arsenal and Manchester City – after some outstanding performances for the Black Cats this season, and now the Irons have joined the battle for his signature.

Despite the fact that they are bottom of the table and look to be heading towards the Championship, Pickford has quickly become one of the most coveted players in the top flight after making a string of brilliant saves for David Moyes’ men this term, and could be available for around £15m if the Mackems do go down.

The stopper received a first call up to the senior England squad in October, and he has been tipped to go on to become a regular for the Three Lions in the future.

Here are three reasons Everton must win the race for the highly-rated goalkeeper…

Koeman needs a goalkeeper

With neither Maarten Stekelenburg nor Joel Robles looking particularly comfortable between the sticks for Everton this season, Koeman will be looking for a new number one this summer.

The latter was at fault for Marc Albrighton’s free-kick in his side’s 4-2 win against Leicester City after misjudging the flight of the ball, while he also came under scrutiny from supporters for his performance in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool.

Koeman will want a more reliable number one next term if the club are to push on to the next level, and Pickford has the potential to be the long-term answer to the issue.

He commands his area

While both Joel Robles and Maarten Stekelenburg have looked shaky at times and have struggled to have a real command of their area – as shown by the Marc Albrighton goal the former conceded against Leicester City on Sunday – Pickford is the opposite.

The Sunderland stopper will come out and collect or the punch the ball if needed, while he has showed his awareness to danger on a number of occasions – including when he beat Zlatan Ibrahimovic to clear the ball during his side’s defeat to Manchester United at the weekend.

Price tag

While they have more money to spend in the transfer market following the arrival of Farhad Moshiri, Everton still pride themselves on being a club that like to get value for money when they buy players.

The fact that Pickford would be available for £15m would certainly mean that he is an attractive proposition for the Merseyside outfit, who know that the 23-year-old could be their first choice goalkeeper for a number of years to come.

Do you agree, Everton fans? Let us know below.

With just seven games to go, Chelsea have one hand on the Premier League trophy already, but the race is not yet run.

Spurs’ relentless form means that they are still lurking seven points behind Antonio Conte’s leaders and although that appears too sizable a gap, two losses could see the buffer the Blues have built up crumble and make for a dramatic end to the campaign.

So, Manchester United is a worrying fixture then. Granted, the Red Devils haven’t been all that special this term, but with a 21-game unbeaten run in league action heading into this one and a manager in Jose Mourinho who would love nothing more than to get one over on the club that sacked him last season, there’s plenty to be anxious about.

With all of that in mind, here’s the starting XI Conte should select for his team’s trip to the Theatre of Dreams for another win to take them towards the title…

GK – Thibaut Courtois

Manchester United away should grant Courtois the chance to maintain his ever-present Premier League status this season. The Belgian has been solid at the very back of this Chelsea team all campaign long and, barring injury, he’ll be one of the first names on Conte’s team-sheet.

CB – Cesar Azpilicueta

The Spaniard has once again shown his versatility and quality across the season, adapting perfectly to be one of Conte’s three centre-backs. The former Osasuna star may be somewhat vulnerable to high balls hung up at the back post, bit he reads the game well and is good with the ball at his feet.

CB – David Luiz

While N’Golo Kante is being talked up as the signing of the season, Luiz has every right to feel that his name should be in that conversation. Few predicted that the Brazilian would be anything other than a big-money flop when Chelsea paid a sizable fee to lure him back from Paris Saint-Germain last year, but the 29-year-old has looked assured and composed as part of a back three, with the added cover distracting from flaws in his game while magnifying all that he’s good at.

CB – Gary Cahill

Conte may have experimented with Kurt Zouma in his team of late, but for such a big match he’ll surely go tried and tested, which means Cahill will complete his preferred defensive triumvirate. The experienced centre-back is the leader of the trio and will be vital against the physically imposing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

RWB – Victor Moses

The fact Chelsea missed him so dearly during his recent injury absence speaks volumes for Moses’ revival this season. A somewhat forgotten man at Chelsea after a succession of loan spells away from the club, Conte has harnessed his pace and stocky physicality of the right flank, slotting him in as a wing-back to great effect.

CM – N’Golo Kante

Kante has been terrific all season long and his sheer energy may be vital against a Man United team that will be somewhat drained by a Thursday night trip to Anderlecht in the Europa League. The Frenchman, who will be fully rested, should be able to dominate the middle of the pitch and get Chelsea on the ball.

CM – Nemanja Matic

One of the few real choices Conte will have to make is Matic or Cesc Fabregas and we think he’ll go for the former to partner Kante. The Serbian is another Chelsea player reborn this term and in a big game his defensive nous and physical presence will be vital.

LWB – Marcos Alonso

Fresh from scoring a sumptuous free-kick at Bournemouth, Alonso will be full of confidence for a trip to Old Trafford. The Spaniard has been a real outlet on the left-flank all season long, with his expert delivery and well-timed runs at the back post a somewhat underappreciated outside of the Blues’ camp.

RF – Pedro

Pedro has successfully ousted Willian from the Chelsea XI this season, which really is some going given how good the Brazilian has been in the blue shirt. Pedro, as an inside forward, offers the sort of intricate play and finishing prowess around the 18-yard box that’s needed in a 3-4-3 set-up and his link-up play with Diego Costa has been terrific all season long.

LF – Eden Hazard

Nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award, Hazard will be eager to put in another stellar performance on the biggest stage and he has the skillset to be the key player at Old Trafford. The Belgian will be particularly threatening against a Man United XI that will start to feel the effects of a Thursday night European match in the second 45 minutes.

ST – Diego Costa

Costa is on somewhat of a barren run in Premier League action, with the Spaniard having not netted since the Blues’ win at West Ham in early March. However, Man United will be wary of the burly forward who is a big-game player and the sort of striker that puts away chances in ruthless fashion, so long as they’re supplied to him.

Last month, Jurgen Klopp described a 2-1 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor as the first ugly win of his Liverpool career – a rather significant step for the Reds considering he took the Anfield hot seat in November 2015.

Well, Sunday’s performance against West Bromwich Albion suggested it was no fluke, as Liverpool produced yet another unmemorable display but managed to claim another win on the road against the eighth-placed Premier League outfit.

Crucial to that, in addition to Roberto Firmino’s 46th minute goal which proved to be the winner, was Liverpool’s ability to keep a clean sheet – something they’d done only seven times in the Premier League before this weekend.

And in that regard, Klopp owes much to summer signing Joel Matip, who was an absolute rock at the heart of defence on Sunday afternoon. Indeed, as our infographic shows, Matip completed three tackles, three interceptions and three aerial duels, whilst taking the occasionally necessary Row-Z option five times.

Equally impressive, however, was the Cameroonian’s contribution on the ball. In addition to a 90% pass completion rate, he actually had the most touches of the ball of any Liverpool player. Capable in possession yet ready to win ugly when required, Matip could be the defensive leader the Reds need to make themselves a real force in next season’s title race.

According to reports in The Sun, Chelsea are ready to rival Liverpool for the signing of £25m-rated RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 22-year-old has been on the Bundesliga outfit’s best players this season and he looks set to help them secure an impressive second-placed finish.

His performances are understood to have impressed Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, who managed for a number of years in Germany, but now Blues manager Antonio Conte has declared his interest in the highly-rated midfielder.

With Champions League football to come next term and extra matches as a result, Conte is keen to relieve PFA Player of the Year N’Golo Kante of some of his workload and sees Keita as a natural alternative.

How good has Keita been this season?

He has been excellent.

In 29 Bundesliga appearances this term he has scored eight goals and provided a further eight assists to show how influential he can be from an attacking point of view.

But as a box-to-box midfielder the defensive side of his game is also strong.

Where would he fit in at Chelsea?

As we alluded to previously, Keita would probably be seen as competition for Kante as they have similar attributes.

That said, the 22-year-old certainly seems to be more effective in attacking areas and that could mean that he could also play alongside Kante in the middle of the park too when required.

Would the Blues pay £25m?

They probably would, yes.

Keita is one of the most highly-rated and in demand young midfielders in Europe and Conte wouldn’t worry about paying £25m for a player that has so much potential – in fact, it could turn out to be something of a bargain.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, there is no doubt that the 22-year-old will be a target for a number of top clubs this summer and if Chelsea could win the race for his signature it would be another statement of intent, and he certainly has the ability to strengthen the squad.

Arsenal spent over £38million on bringing Switzerland star Granit Xhaka to the Emirates last summer.

Big things were expected of the youngster having enjoyed two brilliant seasons with Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach; Xhaka promised to be the combative leader that the Gunners have craved for so many years in the absence of club legend Patrick Vieira.

Thing started well. The then 24-year-old appeared to be right at home in the Premier League, with his physicality and menace in the centre of the park making adjustment to the league look easy.

However, things have since gone downhill for the Swiss midfielder, with both his disciplinary record and performances taking a turn for the worse, both being a major contributor in the Gunners’ lack of form post-christmas and their near failure in the chase for the top four.

From 43 appearances in all competitions this season, Xhaka has scored only four times and made two assists for his team-mates. He has been yellow carded 13 times, and sent off twice. That equates to over £6million per goal or assist given the huge transfer fee he commanded last summer.

While that may not be a total representative of his contribution having played much of the season as a defensive midfielder, the statistics don’t lie and they don’t read well.

At over £38m, do you think that has been enough of a contribution? Have your say in the poll below…

It would be fair to say that Vincent Janssen struggled at Tottenham Hotspur last season, with the 22-year-old only managing two Premier League goals in 27 appearances.

Last week, the centre-forward admitted that he was considering his future at White Hart Lane after struggling to settle following a move from AZ in the summer of 2016.

The 22-year-old took his Netherlands tally to six goals in 12 appearances, however, when he found the back of the net in his nation’s 5-0 win over Ivory Coast on Sunday night.

Tottenham’s official Twitter account posted a tribute to the striker after he found the back of the net on Sunday, and the responses from the Spurs fans suggested that they want to see more of him next season.

Janssen managed 31 goals in 49 appearances for AZ during the 2015-16 campaign, and he only actually started seven Premier League matches last season, which makes his year difficult to judge.

Social media can be a cruel place for footballers when it goes wrong, but it does seem that the Tottenham supporters are backing Janssen to enjoy a more prosperous 2017-18 season.

It feels like the 2016-17 Premier League season has only just ended, but next week, the fixtures for the new campaign will be officially released.

Manchester United will be looking to challenge for the Premier League title after finishing sixth last term, although the Red Devils are yet to make their move in the transfer market.

On Wednesday afternoon, the club’s official Twitter account began the countdown to the release of next season’s fixtures, although not everyone was excited about the news.

Instead, the responses to the post focused on the fans calling for new signings at Old Trafford, with Fabinho, Andrea Belotti and Douglas Costa among those that were mentioned.

There is no doubting that the Red Devils will spend big this summer as they look to return to the top of English football under Jose Mourinho, although it does not appear that any signings are imminent.

The Man United supporters clearly feel that their team is moving slowly when it comes to bringing in new players, and many took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon to air their frustrations.

Chelsea look set to make some big moves in the transfer market this summer, despite boasting the Premier League title.

Indeed, The Sun have claimed Antonio Conte could swoop for one of his former chargers in Leonardo Bonucci, widely considered to be one of the best centre-halves in world football, after the pair won three Serie A titles together at Juventus and worked with each other again within the Azzurri fold.

However, the Italy international would come at the rather unusual price of £48million plus Serbian international Nemanja Matic, who no longer appears to be a guaranteed starter in Conte’s plans, as part of a curious swap deal.

But by FootballFanCast’s reckoning, that deal seems a little unfair on the Blues. No doubt, Bonucci is a phenomenal talent but he’s already 30 years of age and few midfielders in world football offer Matic’s composure and control in the middle of the park.

With that in mind, we asked Chelsea fans earlier this week whether they’d back the potential swap deal and according to our poll, 54% wouldn’t. Chelsea supporters are likely fond of Bonucci – they’d be mad not to be – but it seems they rate Matic and £48million as too dear a price for his services.

According to reports in The Mirror, Chelsea target Ruben Neves is on the verge of joining Championship outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers from FC Porto for a club-record fee of £18m.

The Mirror reports that the Blues and Premier League rivals Liverpool have been keeping close tabs on the progress of the 20-year-old, who struggled to break into the starting line-up with the Portuguese giants last season.

However, he looks set to move to Molineux instead, where he will link up with former Porto manager Nuno Espirito Santo in a deal brokered by super agent Jorge Mendes.

Chelsea supporters were quick to have their say on the rumour via social media, with some saying that Wolves were showing more ambition in the transfer market than they are right now, while others were bemused at the fact that a promising prospect would join Wolves.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Chelsea and Manchester United could both move for Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan before the transfer window closes, according to the Daily Mail.

What’s the word?

Both Premier League clubs are focusing on other midfield targets, but it seems that Nainggolan is next on the list.

The Daily Mail reports that United will move for the £40m-rated midfielder if they continue struggling to agree a deal with Tottenham Hotspur for Eric Dier.

With regards to Chelsea, Antonio Conte has reportedly not closed the door on pursuing Nainggolan, despite closing in on the capture of Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco.

It is believed that the Blues were interested in the Belgium international last summer, but a move failed to materialise.

Could there be another battle?

If both clubs get their main targets, then interest in Nainggolan could cool, but if a battle ensues, Chelsea will be determined not to miss out again.

The Premier League champions had to watch their former striker Romelu Lukaku choose United instead of a return to Stamford Bridge.

At the last minute, Chelsea matched their rival’s offer of £75m for the Everton forward, according to Sky Sports, but the Belgian still opted for Old Trafford.

The Blues have had a slow start to the transfer window having only brought in goalkeeper Willy Caballero from Manchester City on a free transfer and Roma’s Antonio Rudiger.

In order to maintain their stature as one of the top clubs in England, they cannot afford to lose out to United again.

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