Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham lock horns in race to sign England international

Pickford’s contract at Goodison Park expires in 18 months, and with Everton struggling near the bottom of the Premier League, the goalkeeper has been linked with a move away from Merseyside.

However, reports suggested that the 28-year-old was happy to stay and had agreed to a new five-year contract before England’s World Cup trip.

The club’s board, according to the MailOnline, is now having second thoughts about the new contract, despite Frank Lampard’s desire to tie Pickford’s future down.

This has given the Blues, Red Devils, and Spurs hope that they will be able to sign a new goalkeeper in January or next summer.

Despite poor performances this season, Edouard Mendy reportedly turned down multiple contract offers from Chelsea, and while Kepa Arrizabalaga has improved, it remains to be seen if his turnaround in form is enough for Graham Potter.

David de Gea’s contract at Manchester United expires at the end of the season, and Erik ten Hag is keen to bring in a new keeper who is more comfortable on the ball, an attribute Pickford possesses.

Antonio Conte is also on the lookout for a replacement for Hugo Lloris, who recently celebrated his 36th birthday.

Pickford moved to Everton in 2017 after breaking onto the scene with Sunderland, and while the Toffees have struggled since then, he has performed admirably, keeping 57 clean sheets in 214 appearances.

He has also established himself as Gareth Southgate’s number one despite stiff competition from the likes of Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope, helping the Three Lions to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2020 final.

It remains to be seen whether Pickford’s desire to stay at Everton has been affected by the contract situation, but Lampard insists his player’s loyalty is with the Toffees.

‘Jordan feels very happy being at this club, I don’t want to speak for him, but that’s the impression I get from him,’ said the manager recently.

‘I believe we can compete with his ambitions. We’re a massive club with a massive history and massive ambition, and he’s a big part of that. If Jordan feels that way, we can match each other’s ambitions, and I don’t see getting him to stay longer as a problem.’