Newcastle now eye Nick Pope replacement who’s been called “Guardiola style”

Newcastle United are now keen on goalkeeper who’s so good with his feet he’s been described as “Guardiola style,” according to a new report.

Pope good enough for England – Anderson

Despite helping Newcastle United lift the Carabao Cup – their first major trophy in 64 years – earlier this month, Nick Pope wasn’t included in Thomas Tuchel’s first-ever England squad, with the German manager picking Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Dean Henderson and James Trafford ahead of him.

Former Newcastle defender John Anderson believes he was unlucky to be left out: “Pickford is obviously England’s number one and rightly so, but I would say Nick Pope is definitely better than the rest of them.”

Trafford, meanwhile, has been touted as a potential summer signing for the Magpies after what has been a record-breaking season in goal for Burnley in the Championship. The 22-year-old has kept a record 27 clean sheets in 38 games so far, conceding just 11 goals – an astonishing achievement that has put Scott Parker’s side well in the race for automatic promotion.

On the potential of Newcastle signing Trafford in the summer, Anderson said: “He is up and coming and has had an exceptional season with Burnley. He is young and can only get better.”

Magpies eyeing Lammens but face stiff competition

Another keeper who is reportedly on Newcastle’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window is Royal Antwerp shot-stopper Senne Lammens. According to a new report from The Sun, the Magpies are one of a number of clubs alongside West Ham United, Manchester City and Manchester United that have got the 22-year-old on their radar.

The newspaper reports that Lammens is rated at around £30 million, and describe him as a “Guardiola-style” keeper because of his ability with his feet – something that be music to the ears of Newcastle fans given Pope’s well-documented struggles in that department.

Described by football scout Nikita Korneev as “one of Europe’s most exciting young keepers”, Lammens has already cemented himself as Antwerp’s first-choice goalkeeper, impressing in this season’s Champions League before they were eliminated.

A regular for Belgium’s U21s, he was also recently called up to Belgium’s national team for the first-ever time and could yet become the long-term successor to Thibaut Courtois for his nation.

Recently, Lammens opened up on being linked with a move to Old Trafford, saying: “The first time I heard it, I thought, ‘Wow, a world team that follows you. That is special.’

“They are still just rumours,” he explained. “Those top clubs have so many scouts and follow so many players. So it doesn’t have to mean anything yet. It will only become clear in the summer whether anything comes of it.”