Newcastle United exit to be 'assessed' after £20m double transfer swoop

Martin Dubravka has joined Newcastle in Japan following his involvement in Euro 2024 with Slovakia. He returns to a goalkeeping department that has lost Loris Karius but gained Odysseas Vlachodimos and John Ruddy this summer.

Youngster Max Thompson, Mark Gillespie and first-choice Nick Pope have also made the journey to Tokyo. Despite the goalkeeper position being arguably the hardest to break into in football as in-game substitutions are rare, Newcastle are heading into the new Premier League season with half a dozen goalkeepers with senior football experience.

Realistically, Pope will be Newcastle’s starting goalkeeper for the new season which leaves Vlachodimos and Dubravka to compete for the back-up spot.

But the 35-year-old - who was previously unhappy at being second-choice to Pope and left to join Manchester United on loan in 2022 before returning - will seek clarity on his position at the club. Dubravka has been linked with a move away from Newcastle this summer and is expected to leave.

Head coach Eddie Howe has admitted the position will be assessed as the summer progresses.

But for now, Howe said: “[Six goalkeepers] means there's competition for places and we haven't seen a lot of Martin yet, we've done a couple of training sessions with him since coming back but he's had time off because of his international exploits.

“[The goalkeeping situation] is something we'll assess as we go on.” 

Howe has already admitted that he expects some first-team players to leave the club this summer. The Magpies have already sold Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest and Brighton respectively for a combined sum of £68million.

Following Anderson’s £35million move to Forest, Vlachodimos moved in the opposite direction for a fee reported to be worth £20million. Ruddy then joined on a free transfer following his release from Birmingham City.