In a recent report, The Sun claimed that Everton are eyeing Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope. The Toffees are believed to be considering the England stopper as a replacement for Jordan Pickford.
Pope injury to affect Newcastle’s season
Pope has endured an injury-hit season at the Tyneside club recently, but has been a string of impressive displays for the club in the Premier League. The 32-year-old made 21 appearances for Newcastle last season, conceding 21 goals and keeping eight clean sheets in all competitions.
The experienced goalkeeper deserves praise for averaging 1.1 clearances and 3.1 long balls per 90 minutes in the Premier League. However, in the Premier League, he has a pass success rate of just 71.1% (data from whoscored) and struggles to distribute possession out from the back.
His current contract with the Tyneside club expires in the summer of 2026.
Should Everton manager Sean Dyche sign Pope?
Pope is a reliable footballer who can use his quick reflexes to make some important saves for his team. He has plenty of Premier League experience and can still be a confident helper when he is on the pitch regularly.
However, the England star struggled to stay injury-free last season and is now entering the twilight of his career. As such, he will not be the long-term solution to Everton’s goalkeeping problems. Additionally, they need to find a way to improve their distribution of the ball in the defensive area.
However, Sean Dyche knows Pope well from his time at Burnley and could be the ideal candidate to get the best out of the experienced goalkeeper. So, the Toffees would do well to do their best and sign him in January or at the end of the season.
Pope, 32, may still have some good years left in him and could be a good option for the Merseyside club in the short term. Therefore, Daichi must focus on completing the deal with the British goalkeeper next year.
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