Everton begin contract talks with Pickford to keep him at Goodison

Everton have opened formal talks with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford over a new contract that the club hopes will keep the England international at Goodison Park for the remainder of his career, the club indicated on Friday. Pickford's current deal runs until July 2027, but Everton officials said they want to reward the 31 year old for his recent performances and begin negotiations to extend his stay amid a wider push to secure key members of the squad.

Pickford has been central to Everton's survival in recent seasons. Since joining from Sunderland in 2017 for a reported 30 million pounds he has made 322 appearances for the club and kept around 90 clean sheets, and he has been named Everton player of the year on multiple occasions, including in each of the last three seasons, club records show. He is also an established England international with 76 caps and has remained in contention for the national team despite competition for the number one shirt, the club and national team reports say.

The move to open talks comes after an active summer transfer window under new owners, the Friedkin Group, and on the back of a positive start to the season. Everton signed nine players during the...