Newcastle target two goalkeepers in summer overhaul – with three exits likely ...Middle East

Newcastle United are finally ready to invest in a long-term solution to the club’s pressing need for a goalkeeper.

As far back as 2024 Newcastle have wanted competition for Nick Pope, who remains Eddie Howe’s No 1 and is in contention for a World Cup place with England.

But two failed moves for James Trafford – who is tentatively back on the club’s radar after indicating displeasure with his situation at Manchester City – have left them with a lot of work to do.

Newcastle like Pope, who is a part of the influential leadership group, and the point in December where his place in the team was under scrutiny after a high-profile error in Marseille feels like a long time ago.

But he is 33 and the Magpies are acutely aware they need to plan for the future.

No firm decisions have been made but Aaron Ramsdale, a summer Plan B who cost the club a sizeable £4m loan fee and is on hefty wages, does not feel like that.

He has proved a perfectly capable understudy when called on – and Tuesday’s Champions League win over Qarabag was his 15th of the season – but Newcastle have other irons in the fire.

Trafford’s admission that his return to the Etihad was not what was he expected has set tongues wagging and prompted talk of a third pursuit of the England U21 international, who had all but agreed to move to St James’ Park last summer.

It feels almost certain he will move on from City at the end of the season but Newcastle sources regard the situation as “complicated”.

For that deal to happen an agreement on price and wages would have to be found and the player would have to recommit to Newcastle. None of that feels certain.

The i Paper understands that Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen, who has been linked with Chelsea and Bayern Munich in recent days, is one alternative under consideration, while it will not have escaped anyone’s notice that Robin Roefs and Senne Lammens have excelled since joining Sunderland and Manchester United from the Netherlands and Belgium respectively.

Newcastle certainly want to cast the net wider when it comes to recruitment and bringing in a young keeper is a priority.

squareMARK DOUGLAS

My unpopular opinion about Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade

Could the solution be a player they already own?

£20m signing Odysseas Vlachodimos has excelled on loan at Sevilla this season and the Spanish side have indicated an interest in turning the deal into a permanent one, but sources have described that as “virtually impossible”.

Newcastle essentially did Sevilla a massive favour by agreeing favourable terms for the Greece international to leave on loan last summer.

It is understood they are paying just 20 per cent of his wages for the duration of the season.

Finding the money to cover his personal terms and whatever fee Newcastle might want feels unrealistic.

Does that mean a return is possible? Don’t hold your breath.

Vlachodimos told The i Paper in December that he would be happy to return but he is not in the club’s thinking as a long-term solution.

While well-thought of inside the club and in regular contact with goalkeeper coaches and loans manager Shola Ameobi, who watched him keep a clean sheet at Getafe on Sunday, efforts are more likely to focus on capitalising on his stellar loan spell in Spain and finding a good price for him in the summer.

For his part, there is puzzlement at his lack of opportunities after being given a sales pitch where he would compete with Pope.

But it was a PSR-driven move brokered when Newcastle were panicking and expected Martin Dubravka to leave.

The goal this year is to make sure their next big investment in the goalkeeper department is for keeps.

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