Sunderland star Jordan Pickford to be targeted by host of top Premier League clubs

There are always departures after relegation and while there are plenty of players Sunderland will not miss or remember fondly, the impending sale of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will break hearts on Wearside, including his own.

It is probably not a case of whether Pickford leaves this summer, but rather for how much. As the most valuable asset in a squad that will be ripped apart, regardless of whether David Moyes remains as manager or not – in order to reboot in the Championship, the sale of a local boy and an outstanding talent will hurt.

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But his list of admirers is long and his reputation continues to soar after this match-winning display against Hull City.

Pickford could not save Sunderland from relegation but his saves against Hull may well have relegated the Tigers, who slipped into the bottom three after Marco Silva’s first home defeat as manager and they could join Moyes’ side in the Championship next season if they lose at Crystal Palace next weekend.

Pickford has pulled off so many stunning stops, blocks and finger-tip acrobatics this season that someone will surely offer too much money for Sunderland, a club in a dire financial position, to resist.

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It is sad, of course. It always is when a club needs to sell “one of their own” but given Pickford will almost certainly make the England squad for next summer’s World Cup if he continues to play in the Premier League, there will be people around him who will argue his career is more important than loyalty to the club he supports.

Arsenal, Everton, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and West Ham are all keeping a close eye on Pickford and although Moyes has scoffed at claims last week that the asking price will be £17m for the 23-year-old, he privately fears all he can do is get the best possible price. A cash offer of £25m, plus add ons, is likely to be too tempting to resist.

In turn, Pickford must choose wisely. There is no point leaving Sunderland if he is not going to be first choice elsewhere. That is why an Everton or West Ham move makes sense, but should David De Gea leave United, Jose Mourinho will compete with City rival Pep Guardiola for his signature.

“At the moment, I really wouldn't know what the odds are on him staying,” said Moyes, after goals from Billy Jones and Jermain Defoe secure his side’s first win since February. “Obviously, it's up to the club, but if Jordan was to go elsewhere and not be the number one, that wouldn't be good for him.

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“You can see what he does for us with the saves he makes. He's been outstanding from day one. The saves he made against Hull, they weren’t even special, he makes them all the time.”

They were special, though, particularly in the second half when he tipped away Lazar Markovic’s header and made a point blank save to deny Abel Hernandez.

For Hull, this was a terrible result which could prove catastrophic. Nobody expected Silva to put them in a position to avoid the drop, but just as they looked as though they would claw their way to safety, they lost their grip.

“It will be very hard to bounce back from this,” said Hull centre-back Harry Maguire, another player who will be looking for a new club if his team go down. “But’s it’s all still to play for and we have to go to Crystal Palace now and win.”