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Newcastle United may well have five senior goalkeepers - but in reality, they are still missing a shot-stopper that can take them to the next level
Newcastle United fans have been patiently waiting at a PSR crossroads for what seems to be an eternity.
At the end of the 2022/23 season they secured Champions League football, in what looked to be a sign of the Magpies knocking down the glass ceiling of the established elite and once again dining out at a table that they hadn’t had access to for the 20 years prior to that. However, after a steady transfer window which saw the likes of Tino Livramento, Sandro Tonali, Lewis Hall and Harvey Barnes all arrive.
The Magpies suddenly found themselves having to balance the books with player sales to meet PSR requirements, stunting the club’s growth as it had just started - and meaning that first team upgrades of any note were few and far between. Newcastle have a talented but incredibly small squad which is demonstrated by injuries to Hall and Sven Botman along with the suspension of Anthony Gordon being labelled an injury crisis due to the lack of cover.
However, one position where Newcastle do have an abundance of options is the goalkeeping department. In Nick Pope, Martin Dubravka, Odysseas Vlachodimos, John Ruddy and Martin Gillespie they have five on the books. But in reality, it can be very easily argued they are still missing a shot-stopper that can take them to the next level.
This summer Newcastle are believed to be in a position to spend once again, as per Craig Hope of Mail Sport, and the goalkeeping department is expected to be one of the areas that they get to work on bolstering.
Newcastle United’s goalkeeping problem explored
Newcastle have struggled in the goalkeeping department since qualifying for the Champions League in the 2022/23 season - and though the club are still flirting with the prospect of finishing in the top four it is clear as daylight to see that the club have regressed in their ability to keep the ball out of the net.
Nick Pope deserves his flowers for his time in the Newcastle goal. In his first season, the 32-year-old was part of the best defence in the entire league, conceding just 33 goals and keeping 14 clean sheets. He quite simply was in everyone’s fantasy team and was pushing Jordan Pickford hard for the England spot.
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But that all changed midway in December 2023 when he picked up a costly shoulder injury during a victory over Manchester United. It kept him out for almost the entire season and left Martin Dubravka deputising as the Magpies failed to qualify for Europe in seventh position.
Since his return, Pope, although occasionally producing great saves, has looked a shadow of the player fans saw in his first season. But his most notable issue is not his goalkeeping acumen but his confidence with the ball at his feet as he has a habit of panicking when receiving a back pass and quite often gives away possession.
In the modern game, it is increasingly important to have a goalkeeper that is comfortable with the ball at their feet and though it is not a necessity for everyone to have a player as good with his feet as Ederson, it is essential that a goalkeeper can be composed in possession particularly with the way team’s press in the Premier League in this day and age.
Dubravka has shown signs of promise in his recent starts in goal but at 36-years-of-age, it is clear the Slovak, who was talked out of a move to Saudi Arabia is in the twilight years of his career and would perhaps be best served as backup keeper.
The 20-cap international Newcastle should target
Newcastle United desperately need a younger goalkeeper that is comfortable in possession and a good shot-stopper to take the team to the next level. Given the constraints of PSR and the need to bolster other areas of the field, it is important Newcastle use their money wisely and one player that could prove to be the perfect addition is Caoimhín Kelleher.
The 26-year-old is expected to be on the hunt for a new club after spending the last six years of his career as a backup at Liverpool, but despite only playing 23 top-flight games he has proven he has the qualities to go right to the top.
As shown by Give Me Sport, Kelleher, however, completes the most passes per 90 (27.6 per 90 compared to Alisson's 25.5 and imminent arrival Mamardashvili's 20.4), which proves his ability to dictate play and pick out teammates from the confines of his own 18-yard box. He also has a 73.2% save rate at the shots he has faced which is higher than both Alisson and Mamardashvili.
Kelleher has already racked up 20 caps for the Republic of Ireland and has started for Liverpool in two Carabao Cup final triumphs in the past. He kept a clean sheet in last season’s Wembley win over Chelsea after making a series of saves as his team won 1-0 in extra time while also proving to be the hero in a penalty-shoot-out two years earlier against the same opponent.
Football Insider understands Newcastle are admirers of the goalkeeper and claims that although a £30-40m asking price is quoted by Liverpool, the Reds might sell him for cheaper due to Kelleher’s desire to play regularly and the fact that by the summer, he will be entering the final season of his contract.
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