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Newcastle to hold agent talks for £54m talent
Newcastle United are expected to reinvest and refresh their squad this summer ahead of their European campaign next season, and now a new goalkeeper could be on the radar.
The Magpies have already qualified for Conference League football after their monumental Carabao Cup victory, but are pushing their competitors in the Premier League for a Champions League spot.
Newcastle are currently third in the top-flight table with four fixtures remaining, and as it stands, they have a huge opportunity to upgrade their European experience to the most elite competition in club football.
Eddie Howe has worked hard to build a squad that he can rely on and that can achieve the expectations that have developed since the Saudi-led takeover.
After winning their first major trophy in 70 years, the club has broken their curse and will want to continue to build on their ambitions with Europe firmly in their sights.
As a result, the recruitment strategy in the summer will be important and sporting director Paul Mitchell will be in the driving seat to add talent to the squad to improve their chances of competing well in all competitions.
Foot Mercato are reporting that Newcastle are one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel this summer.
The North East giants will reportedly meet with Kobel’s representatives next week to discuss a potential move for the shot-stopper, however, it is further noted that Chelsea will also be engaging in negotiations for the player.
It is further noted that Kobel is likely to seriously consider on a move to either Premier League club and Chelsea are willing to table €70m (£54m) to win his signature.
Should Newcastle sign Gregor Kobel?
It is no secret that the Tyneside club has been in the market for a new goalkeeper to become the successor for 33-year-old Nick Pope, with strong links to recently promoted Burnley keeper James Trafford.
Both Pope and his back-up Martin Dubravka are well into their 30s and in the latter stages of the career, so preparing for the long-term future of the number one spot will be absolutely imperative to Newcastle in their efforts to dominate both domestically and on the European stage.
27-year-old Kobel is a longer term prospect with a wealth of experience playing at an elite level in the Bundesliga with Dortmund, as well as tallying up a whopping 35 starts in the Champions League with the German club.
Indeed, Trafford has age on his side at just 22 years old, and the opportunity to further develop his craft under the guidance of Howe, but the club will need to weigh up whether they want a work in progress or a ready-made Europe-experienced keeper going forward.
With that being said, it will be interesting to see which direction Newcastle go in regarding their prospective keeper signing and what lies for the future of Pope if they do act upon their interest in either this summer.
