CARLO ANCELOTTI has ordered the Everton board to find him a new goalkeeper in this window as Jordan Pickford continues to struggle.
SunSport can reveal England keeper Pickford, 25, should be wary of his place following a season of ups and downs.
Ancelotti wants Pickford to have competition at EvertonCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Pickford was beaten by Curtis Jones’ effort on SundayCredit: EPA
Ancelotti, now planning to go into the January transfer market, has ordered director of football Marcel Brands to find him a top-class goalkeeper to rival the Three Lions’ No 1.
Former Sunderland keeper Pickford, who has 24 England caps, suffered a real lowpoint in the 1-0 FA Cup third-round defeat by Liverpool last Sunday.
Teenage sensation Curtis Jones scored a wondergoal – but Pickford mocked him for a “great cross” in the tunnel after the game.
And it was following that defeat that Ancelotti read the riot act to his side.
The former Real Madrid chief questioned the attitude of his players during an angry dressing-room blast.
Just four games since taking over as manager, Italian Ancelotti has already lost patience with a number of them, with Gylfi Sigurdsson among those he is expected to dump as soon as he can.
The £45million Icelandic playmaker admitted after the defeat at Anfield that Toffees players were fighting for their futures.
But SunSport understands Ancelotti has already given up on the 30-year-old, who has 18 months to run on his £5m-a-year Goodison contract.
Sigurdsson will be the biggest name in a cull of Goodison failures that will include Cenk Tosun, Theo Walcott, Morgan Schneiderlin and possibly Michael Keane.
Meanwhile, the Toffees boss is planning to promote highly regarded teenage prospect Anthony Gordon for Saturday’s visit of Brighton.
The Liverpool-born forward, 18, who won the league and cup double with the Under-23s last season, made an appearance from the bench in last month’s Carabao Cup exit to Leicester on penalties.
The former academy player, who has attracted the attention of Chelsea, has also been involved in several recent first-team squads and has a big chance of making his Premier League debut at the weekend.
Ancelotti said: “Anthony Gordon is working with us. I see a lot of quality in him.
“We have to be patient with him but he has the quality to be at the top level.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
