England international goalkeeper Nick Pope looks set to return to the Premier League in 2022-23 after potential upstarts Newcastle United have struck terms with Burnley for the 30-year-old shot-stopper.
Should Pope pass his medical without a hitch, Newcastle would finally secure their first summer signing under Eddie Howe, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein reporting that the club hopes to finalize the deal by the end of this week.
🚨 Newcastle understood to have agreed fee in principle with Burnley for Nick Pope. 30yo England int’l GK now set to undergo medical. Hope is deal will be completed by end of week. 1st summer recruit for #NUFC boss Eddie Howe @TheAthleticUK #twitterclarets https://t.co/nXxgVT0uf7
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 21, 2022
The Magpies have struggled to bring in vital reinforcements this summer as they look to quickly mount a challenge against the top echelon of English football this coming season, but a deal for Pope signals a massive upgrade on current club options Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow, Mark Gillespie, and Freddie Woodman.
Potential deals for French starlet Hugo Ekitike and Dutch international Sven Bosman have all taken recent hits, with Ekitike now said to be tracked by a cadre of European heavyweights in the vein of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain, while Botman could well be holding out for a move to Serie A champions AC Milan.
Newcastle may have to then turn to other potential targets this summer not current on their A-list, with Manchester United center-back Eric Bailly offering a decent backup option if necessary.
German international left-back David Raum could also fall off their list this summer after the TSG 1899 Hoffenheim star has become a subject of interest from United as well as Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
Despite now having massive financial backing, the club’s smaller profile by comparison to other outfits they are going toe-to-toe with to secure summer deals has come back to bite boss Eddie Howe and could signal a more difficult pathway to quickly climbing up the Premier League ladder than first anticipated.
