Goalkeeper confirms he is in line to leave Everton

Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles has confirmed that he is set to leave the club next summer.

Speaking to Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, the former Wigan man confirmed that he will not be extending his stay at Goodison Park at the moment, and will seek pastures new at the end of his ongoing deal.

I am in my last year of my contract at Everton and this will surely be my last season at Everton because I made the decision not to renew.

It’s been a complicated season but this is football. These situations happen. You have to be calm, keep fighting and wait for the opportunity. It is not easy but I have to be patient.

Joel has been pushed down the pecking order in recent times. Jordan Pickford’s big money move to Everton from Sunderland has seen the Spaniard largely excluded from Ronald Koeman’s plans, with Maarten Stekelenburg acting as a number two.

My target from now to January is to fight for the manager to give me an opportunity [to play]. If this is not the case, we will have to sit down on 1 January and assess the options.

The Spaniard did feature considerably regularly under Koeman last season given his lack of a distinct number one goalkeeper.

Joel did admit that he would consider a return to his homeland of Spain if the opportunity arose, with his future at Everton looking increasingly unlikely.

If there are offers from Spain it might be interesting to return. The Premier League is also a very nice league. I love it. In January we will have time to discuss that but now I have to be focused on working to convince the boss to give me a chance.

Everton will need to cash in on Joel in January if they want to receive a transfer fee for the ‘keeper, else he will leave as a free agent next summer.