Newcastle United failed deadline day transfer after £5m Premier League club U-turn
Newcastle United can finally rest following a hectic summer transfer period full of twists and turns - but there remains at least one unresolved issue.
Newcastle United tried and failed to offload goalkeeper Nick Pope this summer.
The 34-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season, was made available for transfer right at the start of the summer. As reported by The Gazette, Pope had a £5million deal lined up to join Ipswich Town following their promotion back to the Premier League.
The goalkeeper had agreed to take a wage cut to join his boyhood club, but the deal ultimately fell through due to uncertainty regarding Kieran McKenna’s future as head coach. McKenna ultimately left Ipswich and Pope’s transfer failed to materialise.
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That was back in June; Pope still had two months to secure a move. But the goalkeeper remained part of Eddie Howe’s first-team plans during the opening weeks of pre-season, featuring in the matches against Darlington, Gateshead and Bristol City.
But the 4-1 defeat at Ashton Gate, which also proved to be Howe’s final game in charge, would also be the last time Pope would be involved in a matchday squad. New head coach Matthias Jaissle spoke with Pope during the pre-season training camp in La Manga, where it was made clear that the goalkeeper was not part of the club’s first-team plans, but would continue to train with the group.
"I had a talk with Nick,” Jaissle said last month. “I really appreciate what he has done in his career so far. He knows exactly the situation right now and we need to deal with it in the best possible way, but I always appreciate the player and the human being behind."
An NUFC escape route?
Leeds United were loosely linked with a move for Pope before securing former Newcastle target James Trafford instead. Premier League newcomers Hull City were also linked while Celtic’s interest was well documented in the final weeks of the window - fuelled further by social media discussing the potential marketability of a ‘Pope No. 1’ Celtic shirt.
But that was largely just social media noise in the end. Newcastle pushed to try and secure a late move for the goalkeeper on deadline day, but there wasn’t a market for him with most viable clubs already addressing their goalkeeper situations.
While the Scottish transfer window remaining open until Thursday evening gives Pope a potential escape route now the Premier League window is shut, such an option has been played down.
Newcastle United’s goalkeeper problem
Newcastle signed Lukas Hornicek from Braga for £26million as the new first-choice goalkeeper this summer. Ewen Jaouen also arrived from Stade de Reims for £18million to be the back-up goalkeeper.
Jaouen’s move came about on the understanding that the 20-year-old would be Newcastle’s second-choice goalkeeper, giving him the opportunity to play in cup matches.
With the first two goalkeeper slots filled at Newcastle, it puts Pope, as the club’s most experienced shot-stopper, in an awkward position should he remain. He would effectively be forced to be a high-earning third-choice goalkeeper - relegated to a similar role as Mark Gillespie on the training ground.
It could also have a knock-on impact on highly-rated 19-year-old Aidan Harris, who has been the club’s third-choice goalkeeper since Jaissle’s arrival.