Newcastle United will be without Nick Pope for several months, but the Magpies appear set to back Martin Dubravka rather than enter the free agent market this month.
Newcastle United would be unable to sign a free agent to replace Nick Pope this month unless the Premier League granted special permission.
Pope is expected to be out for several months after suffering a dislocated shoulder in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Manchester United. That setback has fueled speculation that Newcastle could make a move for David de Gea before the January transfer window opens, and ChronicleLive understands the former Manchester United goalkeeper would consider Newcastle a “real option.” However, it is worth noting that Eddie Howe has backed Martin Dubravka, who took over for Pope at the weekend, and that de Gea’s previous wages at Manchester United would break the club’s tight structure.
Regardless, ChronicleLive understands that no changes to a squad list can be made outside of a transfer window without the express permission of the Premier League board. Special considerations can be made for goalkeepers, but only if a club has only one senior shot-stopper available. Newcastle, of course, still has two in Dubravka and Loris Karius, with Mark Gillespie currently ineligible for the Premier League.
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Karius was signed on a short-term contract last year after Karl Darlow suffered an ankle injury, leaving Newcastle with only two senior goalkeepers in Pope and Gillespie after Dubravka was loaned to Manchester United. Newcastle, on the other hand, were able to sign free agent Karius outside of the window because the contract was signed before the squad list deadline. Because it would not have been a squad list change, no permission from the Premier League board would have been required.
In contrast to that situation, Newcastle now has the luxury of being able to call on a number two in Dubravka, who has already played 130 games in the Premier League and is his country’s first-choice goalkeeper. Dubravka also impressed in his last start for Newcastle against former club Manchester United last month, keeping a clean sheet and making a crucial save to deny Mason Mount just before half-time.
“The good positive signs from Martin are that in his last full start, I thought was outstanding against Manchester United away in the Carabao Cup where he was composed and he’s performed really well for his country as well as they recently qualified for the Euros so he’s in a really good place,” Howe was quoted as saying by BBC Radio Newcastle. “He’s very positive and he did really well and showed his experience today because that wasn’t an easy 15 minutes for any goalkeeper to come in, especially in the cold conditions, but he did very well.”
