Newcastle United hope to complete their second signing of the season by adding Nick Pope to their squad for the 2022/23 season today.
A fee in the region of £12million with potential add ons to follow has been agreed with relegated Burnley who decided to sell Pope before his contract expires next summer. However, with Southampton, West Ham and Nottingham Forest also interested in Pope it is thought that first-team assurances were sought from the 6ft 3in stopper.
Indeed, Chronicle Live understands that Pope wants a genuine tilt at the number 1 spot on Tyneside with the World Cup in Qatar just around the corner. Pope was one of England's keepers in the UEFA Nations League matches this summer but didn't get an opportunity with Aaron Ramsdale and Jordan Pickford featuring in the four matches against Hungary (twice), Italy and Germany.
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Pope played 39 matches for Burnley last season and wants to keep up that momentum moving towards the tournament in the Middle East. The narrative when Pope arrives will almost certainly be that he is here to fight for his place but Eddie Howe will assess all of his goalkeepers in pre-season before making a decision on his starting goalie in the opener at home to Nottingham Forest on August 6.
Pope's puts a question mark over the previously committed and popular Slovakia international Martin Dubravka while Karl Darlow has already made it clear he needs to play at 31. Darlow waited patiently for opportunities last season but appeared just eight matches after recovering from Covid last pre-season.
Darlow played in 26 games in 2020/21 when some of his best form for the club came behind closed doors in the lockdown campaign. The ex-Nottingham Forest keeper has been linked with Middlesbrough but we understand there is still nothing on the table for the goalie who was wanted by Wales 18 months ago.
Both Darlow and Dubravka have three years left on their contracts at Newcastle. Further down the pecking order Dan Langley is expected to leave on loan this summer while Max Thompson could get a long run in the Under-21 this season to stake his claim.
United also still have Mark Gillespie still contracted until 2023. Gillespie has not played in the senior side since the League Cup game at Newport in 2020, which United won on penalties.
Both Gillespie and Darlow were singled out for praise by Howe in May when he said: "Karl Darlow - the way he has conducted himself and worked every day - in training, Mark Gillespie too. "The goalie department has been very strong.
"It's not just about the X1 on the pitch, it's the group. "And it's the feeling of the group and how they are interacting with each other."
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