Newcastle now shortlist “excellent” £10m goalkeeper to replace Dubravka

Newcastle United have now shortlisted an “excellent” goalkeeper who could be brought in to replace Martin Dubravka, according to a report.

Newcastle searching for a new goalkeeper

Dubravka is set to leave Newcastle this month, bringing his six-year stint at St. James’ Park to an end, meaning Eddie Howe will have to bring in a new back-up keeper to provide competition for Nick Pope.

In the same report, it is detailed that James Trafford is being targeted as a replacement for Dubravka, with chiefs now confident that an agreement could be possible this January, having missed out on the Burnley shot-stopper in the summer.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has also identified Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher as a genuine target for the Magpies, with the Irishman doing an impressive job filling in for the injured Alisson this season.

Related

Newcastle among the front-runners to sign “excellent” young centre-back

He could be a brilliant long-term addition for the Magpies.

Given that Trafford and Kelleher have been impressive for their respective clubs, it is likely they would be brought in with a view to replacing Pope on a long-term basis, but Howe also has another, more left-field target in mind.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Newcastle have now shortlisted Wolfsburg’s Kamil Grabara as an alternative target to Trafford, should they miss out on the 22-year-old.

The Burnley star remains the Magpies’ top target, but the Clarets are eager to keep hold of the young goalkeeper, amid their push for promotion to the Premier League, meaning it could be difficult to orchestrate a deal this month.

The recruitment team at St. James’ Park are said to be fans of Grabara’s distribution, and they appreciate the fact he already has some experience in England, previously spending time with Liverpool and Huddersfield Town.

The 26-year-old arrived in the Bundesliga for £10m back in the summer, but it is unclear how much Wolfsburg would be looking for to sanction his departure this month.

Grabara performing well in Germany

The Polish shot-stopper has made a solid start to life in the Bundesliga, being lauded as “excellent” by German football correspondent Seb Stafford-Bloor for making three superb saves in a game earlier in the campaign.

However, Trafford is outperforming Newcastle’s new target on a number of key metrics over the past year, so it is clear to see why the Burnley man remains Howe’s priority target this month.

It must be noted that the Englishman plays in one of the strongest teams in the Championship, while Wolfsburg are a mid-table Bundesliga side, but he is still some way clear of Grabara on each metric.

As such, while the Wolfsburg man has impressed in the Bundesliga this season, he should only be targeted if the Magpies miss out on Trafford, who could be the first-choice goalkeeper at St. James’ Park for years to come.