Newcastle United have identified their top goalkeeper transfer target, but Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are direct competition for Bart Verbruggen.
Newcastle United are hopeful they can strike a summer deal for Brighton and Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
However, the Magpies are unlikely to face a free run at the player, with, as reported elsewhere, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur also keen.
Newcastle United identify ‘ideal replacement’ for Nick Pope
Newcastle are desperate to drive down the average age of their first-team group, and one key area to do so is in the goalkeeper department.
Nick Pope is set to turn 34 next month, and has seen his performances put under the microscope - and rightly so - after some high-profile errors, the latest of which proved so costly against Everton at the weekend.
Eddie Howe and his recruitment team had earmarked James Trafford as the man to fill the gloves left behind by Pope, however, two failed attempts to land the player, likely to line up for Manchester City in this weekend’s Carabao Cup final, proved fruitless. The deal for Trafford was done, only for Man City to activate a buy-back at the 11th hour after an NUFC bid had been accepted days previous.
That blow resulted in the Magpies turning to Aaron Ramsdale as a temporary option. He penned a one-year loan deal with a £20million buy option next summer. It seems unlikely that deal will be triggered.
James Trafford interest - but some say NUFC deal ‘dead’
So too is the likelihood of rekindling of the Trafford deal. In fact, some sources have described any hope a deal with Man City as ‘dead in the water’. Newcastle remain big fans of the future England No.1, and the player has not expressed any change in his stance seemingly - he was very happy to sign at St James’ Park last summer, and the one previous - but high wages and a possible reluctance for Pep Guardiola to sell after just one year are roadblocks in that transfer. Aston Villa are keeping tabs on Trafford, too.
Another keeper linked in recent times, Guillaume Restes of Toulouse, is of no interest to the NUFC transfer team.
Bart Verbruggen deal ‘hope’ - and want to strike early with transfers
Last summer, with Trafford and others like Hugo Ekitike, Newcastle thought they were in the driving seat, but soon found out very quickly there were bigger fish in the pond. There is a resolve to not be in the same boat again this summer, although Verbruggen interest rolls that dice again.
Brighton and Hove Albion are thought to be open to letting Verbruggen leave, if their asking price is met, and Newcastle believe they’re in a good position to strike, if things go their way. The finances of the deal, NewcastleWorld understands, are not set be an issue for the Magpies.
But, and this is a big but, Spurs and Chelsea are also at the table for the Netherlands keeper, raising fears, particularly when it comes to the Champions League-chasing Blues.
Eddie Howe rejects loyalty to NUFC player claims
Eddie Howe has shut down suggestions that he is “loyal” to specific players when naming his Newcastle United line-up - and that includes No.1 Pope.
Following the keeper’s later howler to concede the second goal, questions have been asked about whether he will stick by Pope or give Aaron Ramsdale another chance against Manchester United tonight.
Howe is adamant he does not reflect on previous heroics when naming his team. He told reporters: “Loyalty to players, that makes it sound like you pick players based on what they've done previously and that's not the case. I'll always pick players that I think will give us the best chance to win the next game.
“So that's really a simplistic view of how I see it. They've got to train to the maximum level. I'll always judge the next training session. As I said, I'll judge them off their last game and if I think there's someone better to pick, I have to pick them for the benefit of the team. So that's my view on team selection.”
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