Newcastle Loses a key player to the transfer window

Newcatle must look to move on from Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka as goalkeepers this summer, following their shaky performances between the sticks in the last couple of weeks.

The Magpies steered clear of in-form Nottingham Forest in the first-half on Saturday, and they headed into the half-time break with a comfortable 4-1 lead. However, the Tricky Trees netted another two goals past Pope in the second period, and Newcastle were fortunate to see out a 4-3 victory.

It wasn’t the first occasion on which Newcastle have let the floodgates open in defense, and boss Eddie Howe has tried both Pope and Dubrvaka as his number one, but neither has been able to avoid such defensive failures. That said, the Tyneside outfit’s utmost priority this summer should be to land a new shot-stopper for the first-team.

After Newcastle’s devastating 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City last week, Howe opted to replace Dubravka with Pope as the new starting goalkeeper. The former had also conceded four in a crushing 4-1 loss at home to Bournemouth in January.

Pope, who has previously been described as “not good enough” by TalkSport pundit James Cundy, did not fare much better in the tie with Nottingham Forest – he conceded three and was fortunate to have not cost his side a vital three points.

Despite Dubravka’s shortcomings, fans may still not have been thrilled to see Pope take his place, as the Englishman once conceded seven goals in the space of just three days in December, with three to Liverpool and four to Brentford.

Dubravka and Pope, 36 and 32 respectively, are both nearing the tail end of their career, and their contracts are set to expire in 2026, meaning they have less than 18 months left on their agreement. It is vital for Newcastle to begin preparing for life beyond the duo, particularly given their mishaps which have cost them vital points this season.