Newcastle United reach ‘unofficial’ January agreement after positive discussions as £20m-rated ‘top target’ watchedMartin Dubravka has consented to fulfil the terms of his contract with Newcastle United, despite receiving a transfer proposal from Al-Shabab, a club in the Saudi
Pro League.Dubravka had an agreement in place to join Al-Shabab at the beginning of the month; however, Newcastle refused to authorise the departure of the custodian while he continued to serve as the club’s primary choice in that position.
The Magpies have secured victory in 11 out of the 12 matches in which Dubravka has commenced this season, achieving seven clean sheets in the process.
Despite the return of Nick Pope, who has recovered from a knee injury that sidelined him for seven weeks, Dubravka retained his position in the starting lineup during the match against Southampton on Saturday and is anticipated to continue in this role for the foreseeable future.
Earlier this month, Newcastle United’s head coach, Eddie Howe, asserted that there would be no formal announcement concerning Dubravka’s future in the event that an agreement is established to retain him at the club beyond the January transfer window. He has now articulated that the club and the athlete are “progressing together” following constructive discussions.
Al-Shabab has subsequently pursued another custodian from Newcastle, namely Odysseas Vlachodimos, who is reported to have declined the prospect of first-team participation in Saudi Arabia. Since his transfer from Nottingham Forest to Newcastle for an estimated £20 million last summer, Vlachodimos has participated in only one match as a substitute.
The 36-year-old player will be out of contract at the conclusion of the season and cannot be assured of consistent first-team participation in the future. Although Howe has publicly expressed his wish for Dubravka to prolong his tenure at St James’ Park, the club is actively seeking to enhance their goalkeeping options, with Burnley’s £20 million-rated James Trafford identified as a primary target.
Newcastle United has been actively evaluating the 22-year-old player, who has maintained an impressive record of 18 clean sheets in 27 Championship matches this season. Notably, he recently executed two crucial penalty saves in a match against Sunderland.
Trafford reached a provisional agreement regarding circumstances to join Newcastle during the previous summer; however, Burnley rejected two offers.
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