Newcastle United may have to add a reboot of their goalkeeping department to their huge summer rebuild with Martin Dubravka considering his options in the close season.
The club are braced for one of the busiest closing weeks of the window in the Premier League, with interest in Kieran Trippier and Miguel Almiron described as “ongoing”.
A £12.8m bid for Trippier from Bayern Munich was rejected on Tuesday, but the Bundesliga club are expected to return with a new offer to test Newcastle’s previous assertion that he is not for sale.
It adds to a sense of uncertainty at St James’ Park, with insiders aware that an even bigger revamp is coming in the summer. And they have big goalkeeper decisions to make.
After a tentative start Dubravka is proving an able understudy to the injured Nick Pope, who will be out until March with a shoulder injury. His form has improved to such an extent that talk of replacing him with free agent David de Gea or a loan move for Aaron Ramsdale has totally evaporated at Newcastle, who are wrestling with Financial Fair Play concerns.
Dubravka’s agent David Zika has ruled out a move in January – saying it would “not make much sense” and Newcastle would block it – but admits that with 18 months left on his contract the summer is a critical juncture for the player.
Newcastle’s third choice Loris Karius and back-up stopper Mark Gillespie are both out of contract in the summer, making Dubravka’s position intriguing. The club would be loath to leave themselves in a position where they need to recruit three goalkeepers in the summer.
Dubravka endured a tough loan spell at Manchester United last season after slipping down the pecking order when Newcastle signed Pope but recent form – including excellent displays against Liverpool and Manchester City – have hinted at a career renaissance.
Zika says that the 35-year-old could play another five years at the highest level. But regular first team football may be a priority.
“I dare say that he will finish this season in Newcastle,” Zika said, speaking to i and Sport.SK. “I personally think, and we talked about it with Martin, that now he has excellent ‘timing’ for everything.
“He’s playing, he’s getting better and better in every game and then the European Championships will come and he’ll only have a year left on his contract.
“If he plays well in the Euros in Germany, he can get into an excellent position. I can imagine that Newcastle will offer him a contract extension for a year or two.
“In England, goalkeepers mature like wine and their loyalty is viewed very positively. However, we wouldn’t rule out that he will want to look somewhere else.”
Speculation has swirled around St James’ Park in recent days, likely encouraged by Darren Eales’ admission the club will need to sell in the future to finance further squad building. Trippier, Callum Wilson and Almiron’s futures have all come under scrutiny, with clubs enquiring about all three.
But the smart money with just over a week of the transfer window left is on Newcastle retaining the core of their squad and instead opting for a more substantial rebuild in the summer, when they will have to fend off bids for their crown jewels. The club fear Bruno Guimaraes, who has a £100m release clause in the contract he signed last year, could depart.
As disappointing as that would be for Newcastle, it would free up substantial FFP headroom to replace him and strengthen other areas of the team and – armed with improved commercial income – the Magpies would have considerable spending power to reboot their squad.
Newcastle are known to want a left-back, a forward and more midfield options, with Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Everton’s Amadou Onana linked.
But as this season has illustrated, improving squad depth is key and that is why Dubravka’s status is worth keeping an eye on.
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