‘Agreement close’ - Fabrizio Romano drops major Newcastle United transfer hint

Newcastle United have turned their attention towards signing former Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale this summer after they missed out on signing James Trafford. The Burnley man had been linked with a move to St James’ Park for twelve months and was the subject of a bid from Tyneside this summer.

However, Manchester City swooped to trigger a clause in Trafford’s contract and re-signed their former goalkeeper from under the nose of the Magpies. Missing out on Trafford’s signature was just the latest in a long line of frustrating moves this summer.

Ramsdale, meanwhile, has long been admired by Eddie Howe and his coaching staff following their time at Bournemouth together. The former Arsenal man is expected to leave Southampton this summer and a reunion with Howe has been tipped as a potential option for him.

Sky Sports reported yesterday that Newcastle United were ‘in talks’ with the Saints over a possible move for Ramsdale, with discussions centering around a possible loan move with an option to buy next summer. Personal terms are not expected to be an issue between Ramsdale and Newcastle United.

Fabrizio Romano’s Aaron Ramsdale transfer update

Taking to X to provide an update on Newcastle United’s interest in Ramsdale, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported that an agreement on a move is ‘close’ amid a fresh round of talks between the clubs. He wrote: ‘Newcastle have scheduled new round of talks to try get Aaron Ramsdale deal done with Southampton. Agreement close, heavy loan fee with buy option clause also included.’

A loan with an option to buy would be a shrewd move for Newcastle United who can strengthen their goalkeeping department for the short-term without fully committing to a longer term solution. If Ramsdale impresses, then they would already have the framework to complete a transfer next summer - one that would be risk-free from a club potentially hijacking a deal.

Of course, signing Ramsdale raises the question of what Howe plans to do with his current goalkeeping department. Currently standing at five strong, Ramsdale’s signing would likely trigger a couple of departures.

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Odysseas Vlachodimos will reportedly be allowed to leave the club on-loan this summer. The Greek international made just one appearance during his first season as a Magpies player and is yet to feature in pre-season.

Martin Dubravka, meanwhile, may also be allowed to leave the club. The Slovakian was heavily-linked with a move to Saudi Arabia during the January transfer window, but a string of impressive performances in the absence of Nick Pope forced the Magpies to keep hold of him and he was rewarded with a new contract.

It’s likely that Pope and Ramsdale will compete for a starting spot at St James’ Park next season. The former Burnley man began and ended last season as Howe’s first-choice goalkeeper and whilst his kicking ability has come under scrutiny in recent times, his shot stopping remains a huge strength and was key in some big games, most notably in March’s Carabao Cup final, to helping his side over the line.