Newcastle United A shortlist has now been drawn up for an 'excellent' goalkeeper who could be brought in to replace Martin Dubravka, according to a report.
Newcastle is looking for a new goalkeeper
Dubravka is set to leave Newcastle This month, bringing his six-year stint at St James' Park to an end Eddie Howe The team will have to bring in a new backup point guard to provide competition for Nick Pope.
In the same report, it was detailed that James Trafford is being targeted as a replacement for Dubravka, with bosses now confident a deal can be reached next January, after missing out on the Burnley goalkeeper in the summer.
Journalist Ben Jacobs also identified Liverpool Kevin Kelleher as a real target For the Magpies, as the Irishman has done a fantastic job filling in for the injured Alisson this season.
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Given that Trafford and Kelleher have been so impressive for their clubs, they are likely to be brought in with a view to replacing Pope long-term, but Howe also has another, more left-field target in mind.
According to a report from Caught Offside, Newcastle have now shortlisted Wolfsburg player Kamil Grabara As a replacement target for Trafford, should the 22-year-old miss out.
The Burnley star remains the Magpies' top target, but the Clarets are keen to keep hold of the young goalkeeper, amid their bid for promotion to the Premier League. Premier LeagueWhich means it may be difficult to coordinate a trade this month.
The recruitment team at St James' Park are said to be impressed with Grabara's distribution, and appreciate the fact that he already has some experience in England, having previously spent time with Liverpool and Huddersfield Town.
The 26-year-old arrived in the Bundesliga for £10m in the summer, but it is unclear how much Wolfsburg will be looking to agree to his departure this month.
Grabara is performing well in Germany
The Polish goalkeeper has made a strong start in the Bundesliga praised German football correspondent Sepp Stafford described Bloor as “excellent” for making three brilliant saves in a match earlier in the season.
However, Trafford is ahead of Newcastle's new target in a number of key metrics over the past year, so it's clear to see why the Burnley man remains Howe's priority target this month.
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Statistics per 90 |
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|
Goals against |
0.36 (99th percentile) |
2.0 (9th percentile) |
|
Save percentage |
85% (99th percentile) |
64.5% (14th percentile) |
|
Clean sheet percentage |
64% (99th percentile) |
17.6% (25th percentile) |
|
Touches |
41.96 (80th percentile) |
40.94 (66th percentile) |
It should be noted that the Englishman plays in one of the strongest teams in the tournament, while Wolfsburg is one of the average German League teams, but he is still somewhat ahead of Grabara in all metrics.
As such, while the Wolfsburg player has impressed in the Bundesliga this season, he should only be targeted if Newcastle miss out on Trafford, who could be the first choice goalkeeper at St James' Park for years to come.