Nick Pope in action for Burnley. (Getty Images)
According to the Sun, Arsenal are interested in signing Burnley shot-stopper Nick Pope, with the Gunners in need of a back-up for Bernd Leno to cover for the impending retirement of Petr Cech.
The same report adds that Burnley are keen to cash in on their out-of-favour star, with the Clarets currently well-stocked in options between the sticks due to the presence of Joe Hart and Tom Heaton.
Burnley have slapped a £10 million price tag on the one-cap English international, although he might be available for a cheaper price next summer.
Pope lost his place in the side due to a shoulder dislocation last season and the 26-year-old’s involvement has been limited to a couple of appearances in the FA Cup since his return from injury. Manager Sean Dyche has admitted that the club is keen to offload one of the goalkeepers and rightly so because it is virtually impossible to accommodate three top-quality shot-stoppers in a single squad.
A youth product of Ipswich Town, Pope played for non-league side Bury Town before being signed by League One side Charlton Athletic. The 26-year-old spent time on loan at several non-league sides including Harrow Borough, Welling United, Aldershot Town, as well as League Two sides Bury and York City before signing for Burnley in 2016.
Pope was used regularly as the No.1 between the sticks last season where he caught the eye with his consistently impressive shifts. Pope was one of the cornerstones of Burnley’s successful season in the Premier League last term which saw them secure a Europa League qualification spot, recording a total of 114 saves throughout the campaign.
The 26-year-old impressed with his bravery to come off his line to keep the opposition at bay, to go with well-rounded shot-stopping abilities from outside as well as inside the box. As a matter of fact, 40 of Pope’s 114 saves came from outside the box while 69 of them were close-range saves. Furthermore, he is someone who has excellent command in his penalty area.
To put things into perspective, Pope would be an ideal No.1 for any mid-table or top team in the Premier League but Chelsea can bag a massive coup if they beat their London rivals to land the out of favour Burnley stopper.
Chelsea struck a big-money deal for Kepa Arrizabalaga last summer to cover for the departure of Thibaut Courtois, making the Spaniard the most expensive goalkeeper in the process. While Arrizabalaga has impressed with plenty of clean sheets in the Premier League, he hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations of being a £72 million goalkeeper.
While it would be unrealistic to expect Pope to dislodge the Spaniard as the No.1, the Burnley man has enough quality to be an ideal back up option at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are not currently well-stocked in the goalkeeping department, with the ageing duo of Robert Green and Willy Caballero being the reserve options for Maurizio Sarri between the sticks.
A move to Chelsea would re-ignite Pope’s ambitions of playing for England once again and the Blues should not hesitate to invest in the talented homegrown shot-stopper next season.