Why Newcastle want Dubravka to stay – and what it means for January transfers

Newcastle United have ripped up their summer goalkeeping plan to keep Martin Dubravka at St James’ Park in a move that suggests Eddie Howe is not yet ready to twist on his established squad.

It is just a few weeks since Howe spoke of his fears that “staleness” might become a problem with his squad after successive transfer windows in which they have not added a first-team starter.

But their stance on Dubravka – who is now in negotiations over a pay rise to see out the final five months of his contract – is evidence of how complicated Newcastle’s position on transfers remains.

Dubravka’s move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Shabab, whose director of football Pavel Nedved is a big fan of the veteran goalkeeper, has effectively been mothballed after Howe signalled the player’s importance to Newcastle’s hopes of competing on three fronts in the second half of the season.

Dubravka never actually agreed to move to Al-Shabab, despite reports claiming he did, but the move was at an advanced stage.

Despite perceptions of the riches on offer in Saudi Arabia, Dubravka was only in line for a modest pay rise in the two-and-a-half-year deal at Al Shabab.

Newcastle could match that wage or even offer a contract extension to keep the keeper happy.

With Nick Pope not yet ready to return – and not guaranteed to walk straight back into the team – Dubravka will continue to play an important part in a pivotal stage in Newcastle’s season.

They have the chance to retain momentum with two home games against Wolves and Bournemouth this week and on 1 February can book a place in the Carabao Cup final.

In this case, it appears that football logic – and Howe’s instinct not to disrupt the chemistry of a group that is firing on all four cylinders – has beaten the business logic of removing a player from the wage bill to possibly improve the club’s financial headroom in the future.

What it means for the keeper succession plan – with Newcastle retaining an interest in James Trafford, the Burnley No 1 – remains to be seen.

The i Paper understands that when Newcastle signed Odysseas Vlachodimos from Nottingham Forest last summer, his camp were told that he would be the back-up keeper with the possibility to challenge for the No 1 spot.

The Greece international initially resisted the move as other European clubs – where he would have been first choice – were interested in signing him.

But after assurances about the club’s plan, he signed a deal that saw Newcastle reluctantly sell Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest to comply with the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

The assumption at the time was that Dubravka was up for sale, but there were no bids last summer, and the Slovakia international stayed at Newcastle, keeping five successive clean sheets as the Magpies revived their season.

That he stayed in goal for the visit of Bromley felt like a message from Howe to the player about his importance to the cause – while also suggesting that their summer signing remains a long way from the first time.

It is understood that Vlachodimos is frustrated at his lack of opportunities but still sees his future at St James’ Park.

An exit in January is almost certainly not going to happen – not least because the Magpies would not make back the estimated £20m Vlachodimos was valued at.

The machinations around a back-up goalkeeper – however popular – illustrate how difficult it has become to press reset on Newcastle’s squad this month, even with Paul Mitchell installed as director of football.

PSR is tight and Howe’s inclination not to risk unsettling things in January mean the prospect of significant movement feels unlikely.

The club want to sell Miguel Almiron but have had no takers at the £12m price tag they have put on his head.

The dilemma is this: if they lower the valuation they know a deal can be done with one of several suitors from Brazil, the MLS or Europe but it gives them less PSR headroom to bring in a replacement.

And with only Jacob Murphy as another specialist right winger, Howe would not want to sell someone without having an alternative lined up.

“I don’t really want to talk about players leaving too much because we have a small squad,” the Newcastle boss said on Sunday.

An injury to Harvey Barnes may further complicate matters, he admitted: “I don’t really think that’s in my mind in terms of letting too many players go.”