Newcastle United players seem to be drawing a lot of interest from rival clubs this summer. Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a club-record £100 million deal to sign Sandro Tonali. Bruno Guimaraes is on the radar of Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta thought to be a big fan. And now, it looks like another player could be on his way out.
Officially, Newcastle United have completed just one noteworthy signing so far this summer. They have brought in Ewen Jaouen from French Ligue 2 side Reims.
That might not be their only addition between the posts in this window. It is thought that the Magpies are trying to sign James Trafford from Manchester City as well.
That could lead to the departure of Nick Pope. The veteran surely would not want to be a backup goalkeeper if the chance for first-team football is available elsewhere. And it looks like there certainly is interest. In fact, a move has already been made.
Ipswich Town make move but Newcastle United pose stumbling block
According to a report from Football Insider, Ipswich Town have made a preliminary move for Pope. The Magpies are willing to part ways with the 34-year-old goalkeeper for a transfer fee in the region of £10-12 million.
That transfer fee could prove to be a stumbling block for Ipswich Town though. At the end of the day, it is a 34-year-old goalkeeper with merely a year left on his contract. They will be hoping for a discount.
If they do end up signing him, they would be getting a Premier League-proven goalkeeper who can still perform at the top level. For a club trying to stay up, that assurance could be worth the investment.
As for Pope, it would be somewhat of a risky move, joining a club that has just been promoted. They can easily drop down to the Championship after one season. Is it a risk he is willing to take?
Right time to move on from Nick Pope
Pope has done a good job during his time at Newcastle United. He played an integral part in the successes that have come over this time and will always be remembered for that.
But in football, it is always good to make a graceful exit. This might be the right time for that for both the club as well as the player himself.
Pope is 34 years of age. If Newcastle United are successful in signing Trafford, the 34-year-old would find himself sitting on the bench.
There is nothing wrong with that. But he might feel that he still has top-level football left in him before transitioning to that backup goalkeeper role, if he ever wants to be that in the first place.
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
