‘Of course’: 25-year-old says he wants to take Everton player’s place in national team

Everton’s Jordan Pickford is currently the England No. 1, but faces stiff competition for his place.

Arsenal goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale, has recently spoken out about his ambition to usurp Everton shot-stopper Jordan Pickford as England’s first choice between the sticks. In an interview with German publication Kicker, Ramsdale said, “I need to play well for Arsenal to get into the squad and oust a superb goalkeeper there in Jordan Pickford. Of course, it’s every boy’s dream to represent his country in a major tournament.”

Ramsdale certainly has a strong claim for the place in Gareth Southgate’s starting XI. The Arsenal man was in impressive form last season as the Gunners finished runners up in the Premier League. At Goodison Park, however, Pickford was equally crucial in helping the Toffees avoid the drop. He made a number of vital saves on the final day to help preserve Everton’s top flight status.

Pressure on Pickford

At 29-years-old, Pickford is in the prime of his career, and Sean Dyche has no plans to let him leave the club. The Sunderland-born ‘keeper also already has 54 England caps to his name, and has clearly earned Southgate’s trust.

However, if things don’t improve this season at Goodison Park, and Everton get relegated, he would surely have to seek a move back to the top level of club football in order to preserve his place in the England pecking order.

With the likes of Nick Pope and Dean Henderson, as well as Ramsdale, keen to pressure Pickford for his place in the national team, the Everton man needs to remains at the top of his game. This motivation can only be good news for Everton who will be heavily reliant on Pickford themselves this season.

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Everton: Blues set to improve offer for El Bilal Toure

The attacker has been linked with a move to Goodison Park.

Everton are expected to improve their offer for young Almeria forward El Bilal Toure in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update.

Who is El Bilal Toure?

The 21-year-old, who currently earns £4,000 per week, has been seen as a key transfer target for the Blues ahead of the new Premier League season. Last term, they once again avoided relegation to the Championship by the skin of their teeth, with a lack of attacking quality too often proving to be an issue throughout the campaign.

The likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Neal Maupay both struggled to lead the line for different reasons – the former had constant fitness issues and the latter simply didn’t look up to the task, scoring just once in 27 league matches – and it highlighted the need for reinforcements to arrive this summer.

In Toure, Everton have an intriguing target on their radar, with the Almeria ace scoring seven goals in 21 La Liga appearances in 2022/23, with only 15 of those coming from the start. He has also netted five times in 15 caps for Mali, showing that he is also becoming a handy scorer at international level and has a potentially big future ahead of him.

The Blues are yet to be successful in their efforts to snap up the young attacker in the current transfer window, but a new claim has now emerged regarding their pursuit of him.

Are Everton signing El Bilal Toure?

According to IDEAL [via Sport Witness], Everton are prepared to raise their offer for Toure, and it “should not take many days” for his sale to go through, assuming Almeria’s valuation is met. The La Liga side seem relaxed about the situation, accepting that their forward is likely to leave and that the eventual move “will be very satisfactory” for all parties.

The amount in question that the Blues are ready to pay is thought to be €30m (£25.7m) – a fee that would be a club-record amount for Almeria.

Toure, hailed as a “major talent” last summer by 90min’s Graeme Bailey, looks like a brilliant young prospect who could add some life to Everton’s side in the final third, having already proven himself in one of Europe’s top leagues. Granted, he is still very young, so it would be harsh to expect him to be an immediate key man and consistent performer, but he could be a good squad option from the off.

Very much at home in a central attacking role, the Malian could learn from someone like Calvert-Lewin, assuming he stays put and remains injury-free, and his 6ft frame should allow him to handle the physical nature of the Premier League.

Everton could also do with bringing in a more experienced attacking option, though, in order to take the pressure off Toure and allow him to settle at his own pace, with more squad depth required at Goodison Park moving forward. Another relegation battle simply shouldn’t be considered for a club of the Blues’ stature, but for that to happen, significant inroads need to be made in the summer transfer market, assuming the funds are available.