According to reports from The Sun, Everton and Liverpool are both targeting Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland.
The 22-year-old became the Potters’ No.1 at the start of the season following Asmir Begovic’s departure to Chelsea, but his enormous potential has been well-known for some time. He was Great Britain’s first-choice ‘keeper at the 2012 London Olympics and made his England debut, then aged just 19, a matter of months later.
Many tipped Butland to flourish upon the guarantee of regular Premier League football, having impressed for former employers Birmingham City and loan clubs Cheltenham Town, Barnsley, Leeds United and Derby County during his 105 appearances in the Football League, and the 6 foot 5 shot-stopper certainly hasn’t disappointed. He’s made the third-most saves of any Premier League goalkeeper this season, an impressive 44, and kept five clean sheets in 14 starts.
That impressive form has seen Butland emerge as a transfer target of Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool. First-choice Tim Howard remains a consistent performer for the Toffees and one of the most experienced figures in their dressing room, but at 36 years of age is showing signs of inevitable decline.
Meanwhile, Simon Mignolet’s howler against Bordeaux in the Europa League on Thursday night, which cost me my Onlinecasino Bonus Code coming in – conceding an indirect free kick converted by Henri Saivet for holding onto the ball too long – has only exacerbated assumptions that Jurgen Klopp will prowl the market for his own choice of No.1 during the summer.
As a home-grown youngster already showing signs of one day usurping Joe Hart from England’s No.1 berth, Butland represents a sound long-term investment – one that The Sun claim Liverpool are prepared to pay £20million for.