England Stopper Wants Anfield Switch But Arsenal Hover

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England goalkeeper Jack Butland is ready to join Liverpool next summer, according to the Sunday Mirror.

 

The Stoke City goalkeeper is reportedly a key target for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp whose XI remains beset by problems between the sticks. Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius are proving gaffe-prone and incapable of providing the consistency that a title-challenging squad needs.

With Jordan Pickford, 23, arriving at Everton for a fee of up to £30m from Sunderland last summer, Liverpool know Stoke will demand a fee which will exceed that British record.

The Reds face stiff competition from Arsenal whose own goalkeeping situation is marginally better than their Premier League rivals.

 

The Gunners have monitored the 24-year-old’s progress over a number of seasons in readiness for next summer when they expect to lose David Ospina, 28. First-team opportunities have become limited for the Colombia international with Petr Cech, 35, proving to be difficult to dislodge from the Gunners starting line-up.

 

Injuries curtailed his progress but with Joe Hart, 30, struggling to nail down a place at West Ham, Butland is hopeful of staking his claim to England’s #1 shirt next summer.