Signing Nick Pope from Burnley demonstrates how Newcastle's owners understand the task at hand this summer
A £10m move for the 30-year-old may not be the headline-grabbing signing supporters were after this week, but it is a smart move.
Yes, Burnley got relegated from the 2021/22 Premier League season. But that does not overrule the fact that Nick Pope is a good, proven English goalkeeper. He is an England international and, when in form, a very capable top flight performer. Securing his signature for a reported £10m would represent some very wise business by Newcastle’s new owners, and highlight that they squarely understand the task they face this summer.
The Premier League transfer rumour mill had inklings of a move for Nick Pope, but it has only really been in the past few days that the club has accelerated it’s pursuit of the 30-year-old, with personal terms reportedly agreed and a medical set.
It is very likely Nick Pope will become Newcastle United’s second signing of the summer (and officially the first since Dan Ashworth’s arrival).
Just like Matt Targett who arrived before him, Pope is an assured bet. He is a reliable investment - the type of business deal which Newcastle’s new owners like to make. Everyone loves a high risk, high reward deal when they come off (and see the club’s move for Stade Reims starlet Hugo Ekitike for evidence that they’re moving on that front too) but these need offset with steady, stable investment too.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) have inherited a Newcastle side with significant potential - Eddie Howe’s second half revival proved that - but which was still severely underinvested. There isn’t a position on the pitch where the club could confidently turn down improvement. A number of the players in the registered squad last season were Newcastle players when they last graced the Championship, back in the 2016/17 season.
It will take time to overhaul the squad depth and that means smart, quick wins each transfer window whenever they come available - such as a reported £10m capture of a highly-regarded, experienced English goalkeeper. Had Burnley not been relegated, the asking price on Pope would have almost certainly been double (if not triple) what Newcastle look set to secure his services for.
It’s simple, safe investment. And it also allows the Magpies to move on some of its goalkeeping deadwood.
As supporters, we’ve long considered ourselves to have an ‘embarrassment of riches’ between the sticks. In truth, it was just an ‘embarrassment of options’. We just viewed it more favourably due to how severely anaemic the squad depth was in other positions (see centre midfield, where it wasn’t uncommon in the Mike Ashley era for a single injury to leave us without any available options).
In truth, beyond current number one Martin Dubravka, there wasn’t too much there to shout home about. Karl Darlow is a solid enough backup, and he took his chance when Dubravka was injured, but as we look upwards in the table he was quickly being left behind ability-wise. Realistically, he’s these days firmly a lower Premier League/upper Championship type of goalkeeper and nothing more.
Mark Gillespie is just a local lad there to provide emergency cover. He causes no problems, and likely won’t step foot on the pitch in a competitive fixture, so is a bit of a non-factor.
But then there is Freddie Woodman. He has always been Newcastle’s goalkeeping enigma. Highly-rated, the now 25-year-old goalkeeper has every season been ‘just about there’ as supporters clamour to give him his chance. He finally got that this season, playing four Premier League games, but still looked far from the polished piece - and a second half of the season loan to Bournemouth, where he failed to usurp Republic of Ireland international Mark Travers, did not help.
Finally, it looks like time to call an end to the Woodman experiment, for the good of his career as much as the club too. It looks as if he is going to be another promising Newcastle youngster who peaked at the Championship level. With reports emerging towards the end of last week that Woodman could be close to a move to Preston North End in the Championship, now was the time to bring in that next level of goalkeeper to push, and potentially unseat, Dubravka.
Newcastle’s new hierarchy seem to agree, with the move for Pope quickly sanctioned and the Magpies looking set to secure the services of an experienced, talented English goalkeeper who will be keen himself to impress, with a place in Gareth Southgate’s Qatar World Cup squad still not entirely out of the realms of possibility for him.