Sunderland and England Under-21 ace Jordan Pickford on Everton's radar

England Under-21 international Pickford has caught the eye this season with a series of impressive displays since breaking into the Sunderland first team earlier this season.

The Washington-born stopper was in superb form before he injured his knee in the Boxing Day defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, missing the next two months of action.

But Pickford returned to the Sunderland side against Everton on Saturday and Toffees boss Koeman is keeping close tabs on the youngster ahead of the summer transfer window.

Pickford is highly-rated and is on the radar of several top Premier League clubs - with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City all credited with an interest in the 22-year-old.

Everton have long-been linked with fresh reports in the Liverpool Echo claiming the Sunderland stopper has been discussed as an option in the summer.

The Blues are understood to be keen to add another goalkeeper to their books in the close season and Pickford would fit the bill.

He isn't their only target though, with Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel also of interest to Everton.

The Denmark international is rated in the £17million bracket and a move for Schmeichel would make sense given Everton's director of football Steve Walsh knows him well from his time at the Foxes.

Sunderland boss David Moyes has regularly praised Pickford, who broke into the first team at the end of August after an elbow injury ruled Vito Mannone out.

In the wake oft he Everton defeat, Moyes said: "I think that Jordan’s performances in the first half of the season justified him being selected.

"His performances are why he got selected for England.

"It is not easy with young goalkeepers, I put him in and his performances have been excellent.

"He saved us points at the start of the season. He is back fit, I have a lot of faith in him, he has good competition from Vito Mannone too."

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