Forced to work under a tight transfer budget, Rafael Benitez has had to look in places some Premier League managers would not dare touch for signings during his time as Newcastle United boss.
Such an approach, albeit an understandable one, has left Newcastle supporters underwhelmed and even more disgruntled with owner Mike Ashley.
Yet, despite not being able to shop at the most expensive of stores, Benitez has still managed to find some real gems with goalkeeper Martin Dubravka being just one of them.
The 30-year-old, a relatively unknown name, initially joined the Magpies on loan at the end of the 2018 January transfer window, helping his new side to claim a 10th place finish before earning a £3.6m (Transfermarkt) permanent move to St. James’ Park.
And when considering the sort of money that has recently been spent on goalkeepers, the £3.6m Newcastle paid AC Sparta Prague is starting to look like more of a bargain as each day passes.
Despite a couple of mistakes this term versus the likes of Tottenham and Wolves where the Slovakia international could have done much better, Dubravka has still looked strong between the sticks overall, just as he was in the previous campaign.
His shot-stopping, in particular, has been impressive and at times rivalled the shot-stopping of his counterparts in the top six.
Dubravka’s handling has been suspect now and again, leading to the errors mentioned above. But that should not overshadow the good the former Sparta Prague man has done during his time at St. James’ Park.
In an incredibly inflated market, it is hard to describe Dubravka as being anything other than a bargain.
