Jonas Lossl was expected to compete with Jordan Pickford for a starting place in 2020/21, but he’s been left out of the matchday squad for both our games this season. Pickford is first-choice under Carlo Ancelotti and started in our 1-0 win over Tottenham on Sunday. Joao Virginia was on the bench against Spurs but started in our EFL Cup win over Salford. But where is Lossl?
Why haven’t we seen Lossl?
Lossl played 45 minutes of our pre-season friendly draw with Blackpool in August, replacing Pickford at half-time, but he’s been missing ever since. The 31-year-old was left out of the squad for our pre-season friendly win over Preston North End in early-September, so his future at Goodison Park is up in the air.
Lossl was pictured training before the start of the new season, but it appears Ancelotti prefers his younger shot-stoppers. The Danish international joined on a free transfer from Huddersfield Town last summer and has yet to make an appearance for Everton. Lossl was loaned back to the Terriers in January and impressed enough to put pressure on Pickford’s position over the summer.
There was talk of the England international being sold after a disappointing campaign, but Ancelotti has stuck with his No.1 goalkeeper. As for Virginia, the 20-year-old has been tipped for a bright future, so Lossl taking the fall makes sense.
Could he leave before the window shuts?
If Lossl remains on the periphery at Everton, he may have to leave to get first-team football. The summer transfer window shuts on October 5, so he doesn’t have a lot of time to find himself a new club. It’s important to note that the Dane hasn’t requested a transfer and still has two years remaining on his contract, but he won’t want to waste another season on the sidelines.
After all, Lossl joined Huddersfield on loan in January, so he may be open to another temporary move this summer. There’s been no interest as of yet, but things should heat up as we near the end of the transfer window. If Lossl is made available, clubs could consider approaches.