Newcastle United are now showing interest in signing “one of the best goalkeepers in the world”, according to reports from France.
Magpies keen on a goalkeeper
Although Nick Pope’s contract is not due to expire until the summer of 2026, Newcastle appear to be interested in signing a long-term replacement for the 32-year-old, and Burnley’s James Trafford is their priority target.
The 22-year-old’s impressive form in the Championship has caught the eye, although he is not the Magpies’ only target, having also shortlisted Wolfsburg’s Kamil Grabara as a potential option.
Signing a new goalkeeper may become even more of a priority if Martin Dubravka exits St. James’ Park, amid interest from the Saudi Pro League, however, Eddie Howe has made it clear he wants the 35-year-old to stay.
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Howe said: “I’m hopeful everything will die down and that he’s part of our future. We hope he may agree a new contract and stay.”
With Dubravka’s future far from certain, however, Newcastle continue to look at options from across Europe, and one goalkeeper who has attracted the interest of a number of Premier League clubs is Lille’s Lucas Chevalier.
French news outlet Sports Zone, relayed by Get Football News France has since gone on to state that Newcastle are “showing interest” in Chevalier, alongside the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City.
Sports Zone indicate that a deal is more likely to happen in the summer than January, at which point a number of top clubs are set to battle it out for the 23-year-old’s signature.
Chevalier impressing in Ligue 1
The goalkeeper has enjoyed a very impressive first half of the season in Ligue 1, with former Newcastle man Remy Cabella describing him as “one of the best goalkeepers in the world right now.”
There is every sign the Frenchman could be a better addition to the squad than Grabara, given that he has outperformed the Pole on a number of key metrics over the past year.
Statistic per 90
Lucas Chevalier
Kamil Grabara
Goals against
1.05 (86th percentile)
1.89 (11th percentile)
Save percentage
76.6% (89th percentile)
65.3% (15th percentile)
Clean sheet percentage
36.8% (84th percentile)
22.2% (42nd percentile)
However, Trafford has also been solid between the sticks for Burnley during that time period, and the Magpies have confidence that a deal to sign the Burnley keeper could be possible this month.
As such, with clubs from across Europe queuing up for Chevalier, it may be difficult to get a deal done this summer, and Newcastle may be better off pursuing a deal for Trafford.