Transfer Rumour: Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United in six-way battle for Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford

Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are all set to be part of a six-way battle to sign Jordan Pickford from Sunderland in the summer

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, Jordan Pickford is the subject of interest from six clubs in the Premier League, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Everton and West Ham United all interested in signing the Sunderland goalkeeper in the summer.

Disastrous would be an understated word to describe a campaign in which Sunderland have faced the ignominy of relegation from the Premier League. The Black Cats have been rooted to the bottom of the league table for several months now, and have won just six games all season.

However, the dreadful campaign has not been without a few positives, even though that may be hard to believe. Jordan Pickford has been one of the few shining lights at the Stadium of Light – a name that has not been apt for Sunderland this season.

Nevertheless, Pickford has emerged as one of the most promising young players in England, impressing many with his remarkable shot stopping abilities and quickfire reflexes. His exploits have also earned him his first England call up, and a nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year.

As Pickford continues to develop as an exciting talent, he is starting to attract the attention of some of the most prominent clubs in England, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Everton and West Ham all considering him for a summer move.

Arsenal, in fact, have been monitoring Pickford’s progress for a long time now as Arsene Wenger is eager to find a long-term goalkeeping solution for his side following a below par campaign for Petr Cech. David Ospina hasn’t justified preference as a first-choice either while Wojciech Szczesny’s future at Arsenal is mired in uncertainty.

Liverpool, too, have their fair share of goalkeeping woes, with neither Simon Mignolet nor Loris Karius being convincing enough as reliable enough shot-stopper this season. The duo have conceded 42 goals between them and have often been prone to error, forcing Jurgen Klopp to scout top quality options.

At Manchester United, Pickford’s acquisition completely depends on the future of David De Gea, who has been linked with a summer move to Real Madrid.

If the Manchester United number one moves back to the Spanish capital, Pickford could emerge as a viable option for Jose Mourinho to consider, although he still has a long way to go before he matches the heights achieved by De Gea.

Manchester City, meanwhile, seem to be in a serious need to sign a top quality goalkeeper following the struggles of summer signing Claudio Bravo. His deputy, Willy Caballero has been highly inconsistent while Joe Hart is set to depart from the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season.

Everton and West Ham’s goalkeepers have not brought about an assured presence between the sticks either, and with both clubs having European aspirations, the urgency for Ronald Koeman and Slaven Bilic to sign a reliable shot stopper is palpable.

David Moyes is not keen to let go of his prized asset in the summer as he will attempt to mount an immediate comeback into the Premier League. At the same time, even though Pickford is a boyhood Sunderland supporters, he could be tempted to make a better decision for his career.

The report states that an offer of £25 million, plus add ons, could be enough to persuade Sunderland into selling Pickford. All of the aforementioned clubs should be happy to shell out the amount, and it remains to be seen where Pickford heads off to in the summer, as an exit from the Stadium of Light looms large.