Mark Travers - the new backup goalkeeper for Jordan Pickford? | OneFootball

Rumours suggest that Mark Travers is likely to become the new backup goalkeeper for Jordan Pickford at Everton with some reports even claiming that a move is imminent.

According to Alex Crook of talkSPORT and Alexander Smith of the Daily Echo, Travers is set to undergo a medical at Everton today before completing a potential £4m move from Bournemouth. He could end up being the third signing of the summer after Carlos Alcaraz’s loan was made permanent and French striker Thierno Barry was signed from Villarreal.

A move to Merseyside will bring an end to a nine-year stay for Travers, who joined the Bournemouth academy in 2016.

The 26-year-old made his first-team debut for the club at the age of 19 years and 351 days and became the 15th youngest goalkeeper to appear in the top-flight of English football. Travers kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur and even won the Player of the Match award after making a number of great saves.

He was sent on loan to Swindon Town in League One during the 2020/21 campaign and he made eight appearances for them. Following his return to Bournemouth, he became the club’s number one keeper during the 2021/22 season and kept 20 clean sheets in 45 appearances to help them earn a promotion back to the Premier League.

Travers was relegated to the number two slot once again the following season after the arrival of Brazilian goalkeeper Neto and he joined Stoke City on loan in 2023. He only played 14 matches for the Potters before being recalled back to his parent club following an ankle injury to Neto in October that year.

He remained the second choice for the club behind Kepa Arrizabalaga, on loan from Chelsea, before departing for Middlesbrough on loan again in January 2025 to seek more playing time.

Everton are in the market for a backup goalkeeper to provide competition to Pickford after Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia both left the club last month after their contracts ran out.

More good business by the club for me. Getting an experienced keeper to sign up to be Pickfords understudy must be a hell of a task. Virtually no chance of displacing one of the best keepers in the world.They’ve got a young ish keeper with prem experience at a decent price. Nicely under the radar. Hope this one goes through. It feels like the club are slowly moving through the gears and plugging the gaps in the squad. Hopefully a right back/right winger/CM next but a good understudy for Pickford was absolutely essential.

Well unless Pickford is sold this lads going to spend the rest of his Everton career on the bench. Strange decision by travers.

3 Posted 14/07/2025 at 11:04:19

We needed a keeper, so if this happens, it's a good move.

The life of a back up keeper. He will know what he's walking into.

We never know what will have, but although he hasn't suffered much with injuries, Pickford could get injured or even suspended.

Those old enough will remember the shock when the invincible Neville Southall got injured as we were closing if for the league title. Bobby Mimms, who knew his place, stepped in and did okay. Some point to Southall's injury as the reason we missed out, but for me, it was more about us having a wobble and a ridiculous run in by Liverpool. We only missed out by 2 points. One game.

It still hurts. And the less I say about the FA Cup final, the better. Old wounds.

The Bobble is reporting it, so I would expect this will be announced.