Newcastle United clinched Champions League qualification on the final day of the Premier League season, despite a poor performance at home at Everton.
The attention will now switch to the transfer market and Eddie Howe spoke about the importance of being able to act quickly to secure key targets.
It is generally agreed that the club need to strengthen the squad, with the following positions seen as a priority: goalkeeper, centre back, right winger and centre forward.
Below, we will discuss five goalkeeper options for the club, with some having been linked already in the media. Nick Pope finished the season well, but there are still some concerns about his shoulder and his distribution. If the opportunity is there, Newcastle could act and sign a new number one.
It is an open secret now. James Trafford has been heavily linked with the club since Burnley’s relegation in 2024 and the initial thought was that he would be signed to compete with Nick Pope. There were some valid concerns about how ready he was for a move, after a disappointing Premier League campaign in 2023/24. However, he has hugely benefitted from the season in the Championship and earned the golden glove award. The 22-year-old kept 29 clean sheets across 45 matches and conceded only 16 times.
After such a season, Trafford’s confidence will be through the roof and he has been called into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad. A year ago, the goalkeeper was seen as a player with huge potential, but there were significant doubts. Now, he is more established and seen as England’s next number one. With Burnley returning to the top flight, it won’t be easy to sign him. The fee would have increased significantly.
Trafford’s save percentage was a high 84.5%, while he faced shots that had a post-shot expected goals value of 27.8. He conceded just 16, which shows his goals prevented was a high +11.8. His shot stopping improved markedly in the second tier, likely as a result of his increased confidence.
It would be no surprise to see Trafford pursued again this summer, as he has taken several steps forward in his development and could be ready to replace Pope. However, his form and increased standing will make it difficult to convince Burnley to sell.
The rumours linking Joan Garcia with a move to St James’ Park have come from Spain, with several outlets reporting that Newcastle are one of the frontrunners in the race. The highly rated keeper is thought to favour a move to the Premier League. Given we are likely to be in the market for a new number one, it isn’t surprising that this story has emerged.
Arsenal and Aston Villa have also been linked with a move to the Spaniard. Within Spain, Garcia is highly regarded with many believing he could become Spain’s number one in the future. He is an excellent shot stopper, but it is his distribution that has seen his reputation take off. The 24-year-old possesses an impressive passing range allowing him to break lines and launch attacks. This is a dimension we currently lack in our team.
Historically, goalkeepers in Spain have been regarded as less physical and have a weakness aerially. This is an issue David de Gea faced at Manchester United, especially early during his career in England. Garcia is strong off his line and stops 9.6% of crosses faced, placing him in the 91st percentile among goalkeepers.
Garcia is a strong shot stopper with a save success rate of 75.5%, while he has a positive post shot expected goals prevented of +0.2. The one concern some have about Garcia is how he stops shots. He often pushes shots back into dangerous areas and that could be an issue, but it is also something that can easily be worked on.
There is a release clause in play and Espanyol are thought to need money quickly this summer. Garcia would be an exciting signing and it would be a significantly easier deal to do than Trafford.
If we decide to sign a more experienced number one, Gregor Kobel could emerge as a good option. The Swiss goalkeeper impressed against us in the Champions League in 2023 and has plenty of experience in Europe’s elite competitions.
There have been a few links to the Dortmund goalkeeper, but they are not as concrete as those with the two keepers discussed above. Kobel has a proven record as a good shot stopper and has experienced the pressure of playing for an elite club.
One of Kobel’s strengths is his ability to sweep off his line, as shown by his 1.46 defensive actions outside of his area per ninety minutes. This places him in the 78th percentile among goalkeepers. Pope has been a successful keeper for us, due to the volume of his sweeping allowing Eddie Howe to play with a high line. It is an important part of our tactical set up.
One of the highest regarded goalkeepers in Europe is Lucas Chevalier and at the age of 23, he could be ready for a move to the Premier League. There have been links to Aston Villa, Manchester City, Manchester United and Barcelona in the last 12 months. It is only a matter of time before he moves for a big transfer fee.
Chevalier has earned his reputation due to his incredible shot stopping skills. His reactions are sensational and he has produced several eye-catching saves from close range. The Frenchman has a save success rate of 74.9%, while his post shot expected goals prevented is +0.22 per ninety minutes.
He is effective at both distributing and sweeping, without either standing out due to the stylistic approach at Lille.
Stats taken from fbref (powered by Opta)