August 30, (THEWILL) –Â Martin Dubravka, a goalkeeper for Newcastle, has signed a loan agreement with Manchester United, with the possibility of a permanent transfer included in the contract.
Dubravka, who was the Magpies’ top player prior to Nick Pope’s arrival in the summer, has gone down the pecking order under manager, Eddie Howe, who disclosed last week that United had contacted him on the Slovakian international, saying: “There has been contact between the clubs and those discussions will continue.”
Now that the agreement with United has been reached, all that is left to settle are some minor details and personal terms. Should he play a predetermined number of games, the Red Devils will be required to make the transfer permanent.
The number two position behind David de Gea at Old Trafford became available, thanks to Dean Henderson’s loan to Nottingham Forest. However, Dubravka was ultimately chosen as their main target. Other potential targets included Alex McCarthy, Kevin Trapp, Yann Sommer, Odysseas Vlachodimos, Daniel Bachmann, and Giorgi Mamardashvili.
The 33-year-old, who initially joined Newcastle on a loan in 2017/2018, made 130 appearances for the club across all competitions. Pope, who played 26 league games the previous season, has rapidly cemented himself as St James’ Park’s main goalkeeper.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
