Everton are willing to listen to offers for third-choice goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg in January, according to reports.
The Dutchman has fallen down the pecking order at Goodison Park following the summer arrival of Jonas Lossl, and since the Dane’s return to fitness, Stekelenburg hasn’t been included in a single match-day squad.
It was reported in the summer that Spanish giants Real Madrid were eyeing Stekelenburg as a possible target, with Keylor Navas set to leave the Bernabeu at the time.
Navas did eventually leave the Spanish capital for Paris Saint-Germain, while Alphonse Areola moved in the opposite direction to ensure Madrid had necessary cover to Thibaut Courtois.
Everton meanwhile are still keen for Stekelenburg to leave in the January window, and according to Football Insider, the club are actively listening to offers.
Football Insider also claim that Madrid had made contact with Everton over Stekelenburg, but the 37-year old wasn’t their first choice, which explains how they ended up signing Areola on a season-long loan instead.
Stekelenburg is out of contract at the end of the season where he will leave the club for nothing, and Everton are hoping to sell him in January instead. However, the former Netherlands international can sign pre-contract agreements instead in January.
Read Everton Verdict
This makes complete sense, of course. Everton aren’t going to play Stekelenburg going forward any more, with both Jordan Pickford and Jonas Lossl ahead of him in the pecking order.
With promising talent like Joao Virginia at the club too (albeit on loan), Stekelenburg just won’t play, and with little time left to cash in, the club should explore that option.
If Everton are able to agree a transfer fee, it will likely be very low, but it would remove a significant wage earner off the books earlier than expected, which could allow for more creativity in the January transfer market in the way of incomings.
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