Arsenal’s £35m swoop for Premier League ace scuppered by two-month injury layoff

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Arsenal target Jordan Pickford has been ruled out for more than two months with a knee injury, thus possibly ending interest from the Gunners for the time being.

The 22-year-old picked up the issue during the Boxing Day loss at Manchester United, and is reportedly set for a 10-week spell on the sidelines according to The Sun.

That in itself will be a major blow for Sunderland as they look to avoid the drop from the Premier League this season, and so David Moyes will have a major headache on his hands to deal with the setback.

Nevertheless, as added in the report from The Sun, Arsenal had been interested in the England shot-stopper, and had been linked with a £35m move before sending him back to the Stadium of Light on loan for the rest of the season.

However, it looks as though Arsene Wenger could now be forced to postpone the move and consider it at the end of the season as he looks for a long-term replacement for Petr Cech.

The former Chelsea goalkeeper is still one of the top players in his position in the Premier League, but at 34, he’s not getting any younger and is seemingly showing small signs of decline, hence the decision from Wenger to consider his options.

Pickford is contracted to Sunderland until 2020 and so the Black Cats are in a strong position when it comes to his future, although should they fail in their bid to avoid relegation this season, it could have a massively negative impact on his price-tag.

Time will tell if Arsenal still make their move, if Sunderland stay up and if Pickford decides to move on, but the injury will certainly complicate matters in the short term.

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