Everton's Mason Holgate welcomes signing of Jordan Pickford and praises Blues' ambition

Everton starlet Mason Holgate thinks the Toffees have bagged an "unbelievable" goalkeeper in Jordan Pickford, adding that arrival of his England Under-21 teammate shows the strides the Merseysiders have made under manager Ronald Koeman.

Pickford, 23, became the most expensive British goalkeeper of all time after joining Everton on a five-year deal for a fee which could rise to £30m ($38) on Thursday (15 June). The fee raised a few eyebrows but the former Sunderland stopper has no concerns about the money spent to secure his services, and Holgate, 20, thinks the move speaks volumes about the Toffees' recent progress.

"I think it's a great signing," the Everton defender told the club's official website. "As far as keepers go, from my experience, I don't think they get much better than Jordan. He's still young so he's going to be here for a long time.

"Everyone has seen what ability he has - he's an unbelievable keeper. His kicking and distribution is probably the best I have seen. It's a really strong signing for us going forward.

"It says a lot because he is a keeper who was in demand, pretty much any Premier League team would take him. It's good to see that the club has got the ambition to go out and get these types of players."

Everton immediately followed the signing of Pickford with the £23.6m capture of Ajax captain Davy Klaassen, who also signed a five-year deal. The Blues are also close to completing a deal for Malaga forward Sandro for around £5.25m, and Holgate is happy with the way the squad is shaping up ahead of the new season which starts earlier for Koeman's side due to their Europa League commitments.

"It feels like we are building something for years to come," Holgate added. "There are a lot of youngsters coming through at Everton. You saw that at the Under-20 World Cup with the five lads over there. If you look through all the different ages with England, there is at least one or more Everton players there. There are a lot of young lads coming through at once and we are adding to it.

"I've said it lots of times throughout last season - the gaffer will give us a chance if he thinks we are ready. It's a good time to be young at Everton because we know that if we are doing everything right, we will get a chance."