Newcastle's goalkeeper search - Current links, potential targets and transfer verdict

The goalkeeper position is one of the club’s biggest priorities for the summer transfer window. The failure to land James Trafford in previous years came back to haunt Eddie Howe over the course of this season, due to the indifferent form of both Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale.

The former has been an excellent keeper for us since joining, but errors have started to plague his game. Although his kicking and distribution have always been an issue, it could be forgiven due to his excellent shot-stopping and command of his area. Over the last 12 months, he has started to make more errors. His time at the top level has finished.

Meanwhile, Aaron Ramsdale is a big name in this country and was seen as a good stop gap solution. That hasn’t been proven though, as he has struggled to make his presence felt despite plenty of opportunities. His shot stopping wasn’t good enough, while he was hesitant to leave his goal-line, which created larger problems. It would be idiotic to extend his loan spell given the sums of money involved.

The club certainly need to source a number one goalkeeper this summer. There could also be room to sign a second goalkeeper to provide competition, depending on whether Pope would be ready to accept a lesser squad role or seek a starting spot elsewhere.

Who has been linked in the media?

James Trafford – Manchester City

It should come as no surprise that James Trafford has been linked with a move to St James’ Park for the third successive summer. He is known to be well liked within the club and could be ready to seek another transfer, as he will not become number one at Manchester City.

This season, he has shown his ability in the cup competitions, helping City lift both domestic cups. His performance at St James’ Park in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final was eye-catching. It served as a reminder why the club have been looking to make him our long-term number one.

Across the two cup competitions, Trafford had a save percentage of 84%. This included a penalty save from Mo Salah in the FA Cup.

Trafford is still raw in his ability, but he has plenty of potential. He is well rounded, good with his distribution and excellent at preventing goals. One weakness would be his aerial presence from set pieces, but that is likely to improve with age.

The fee and wage package will be higher this summer, due to his move to Manchester City. Meanwhile, other clubs such as Aston Villa and Tottenham have been linked with a move for Trafford. If they push to sign Trafford for a third successive summer, it will be a tougher deal to do and that could lead them elsewhere.

Ewen Jaouen – Reims

If Trafford is raw, then Ewen Jaouen from Reims can be considered even more so. He is considered one of the most talented goalkeepers in Europe and he has been capped throughout the age groups by the French national side. This season, he has emerged as Reims’ number one in Ligue 2 and his development has quickened rapidly.

Physically, it is easy to see why he is highly regarded. He stands at 6’7”, which helps him dominate his area. His reflexes are surprisingly good for his size, as he reacts well to get down low and can react quickly in close situations. As a sweeper, he is confident to leave his line and his distribution is very good.

The obvious concerns with his potential signing would be his age and lack of experience. It would be a huge ask for him to arrive and start in the Premier League. If he was to join, it would need to be as one of two goalkeepers. As a keeper, he will need to fill out into his frame, while his handling is an area of improvement to focus on.

There have been plenty of rumours on social media that he could be set to join us over the summer. Jaouen is the age profile we need to target, and it would be an exciting signing, but expectations would need to be tempered in the short term.

Who else would be well suited?

Robin Risser – RC Lens

France seems to be a good breeding ground for goalkeepers at the moment, and Robin Risser is another with a burgeoning reputation. Risser has been a revelation for Lens this season, with the French club pushing towards to top of Ligue 1. At the age of 21, he is still very young with a similar profile to Jaouen, albeit with much more experience at a higher level.

That could be the reason to prioritise Jaouen over Risser, as he is less proven and should be gettable for a lower fee.

This season, Risser has a save percentage of 69% in Ligue 1. He has a positive goals prevented of 5.22. This underlines his shot-stopping ability, while he has saved two of the five penalties he has faced.

Risser is comfortable with the ball at his feet and he’s an effective distributor. One weakness is his aerial presence. It would take some adjustment should he move to England, especially with the tactical trend towards set piece reliance.

Mile Svilar – Roma

Away from Ligue 1, one of the best goalkeepers in Italy this season has been Mile Svilar at Roma. There have been some loose links in the past and at the age of 26, he could be a more established option for the club to target.

In Serie A, he has the highest save percentage this season of 77%. This emphasises his impressive shot stopping abilities. This is backed up by his goals prevented of 3.72.

Unlike others discussed above, Svilar is very good off his line and controlling his area from crosses. Although he can make defensive actions out of his area, he is less aggressive in his sweeping than some keepers. That is more than made up by his incredible shot stopping and handling, with catching being more common in his game than many keepers.

As a distributor, he would be an upgrade on Nick Pope and a substantial one, but he wouldn’t be regarded as one of the best in this skill.

Svilar is an established goalkeeper at the top of the European game. It would be a statement of intent, and he would finally provide us with a keeper with a well-rounded game. However, the lack of European football would be a barrier to purchasing him.

Verdict

Our summer is going to be an important one, as we look to reignite the project. Goalkeeper could be one of the most important positions in terms of how we develop tactically.

We need a goalkeeper who is effective with the ball at his feet, is active from his line and can make a positive impact with his shot stopping. All of the keepers discussed above would be significant upgrades on our current situation. Risser and Svilar would be signings that carry less risk, but they’d also carry bigger fees.

Trafford and Jaouen are exciting keepers with huge potential, but they’d need patience if they were brought in. The former would adjust quicker, but his move to Manchester City last summer could prevent him from being a realistic option for us, financially.

Due to the lack of European football, the club will need to box clever in the transfer market, while their pool of potential players will be smaller. Certain players will not want to join a club that can’t offer European competition.

If reports are to be believed about Jaouen, he would represent an exciting piece of business and suggest the club are looking to make riskier signings this summer. However, he may not be able to immediately become our number one due to his lack of experience.

Either a more experienced keeper will need to be signed alongside him, or Nick Pope will start next season with the gloves, until the right time arrives to make a change.

Stats taken from Fotmob