Newcastle United have agreed a deal to sign Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale (The Athletic).
The Magpies will take the 27-year-old on loan for a sizeable fee with an option to buy clause inserted.
Newcastle have been struggling to secure their targets this summer. Having missed out on James Trafford, who rejoined Manchester City, the League Cup champions swooped for Ramsdale.
The England international is back in the top-flight, where he will help Newcastle in their bid to compete on multiple fronts next season.
However, it is unclear why they pushed for Ramsdale. He was part of the Southampton team that suffered relegation to the Championship, the third of his career.
Ramsdale conceded 2.2 goals per game and managed to prevent only 0.14 goals. He ranked 12th in the Premier League for goals prevented.
His comments about being unable to concentrate for 90 minutes of a football game also don’t sit well.
It is worth noting that Newcastle only took him on loan and can decide not to sign him permanently if he does not deliver next season.
On his day, he can be a terrific shot-stopper with excellent distribution, but he will need to perform out of his skin to shed his ominous reputation.
Meanwhile, Newcastle are reportedly considering a move for Giorgio Scalvini as they look for centre-back reinforcement to strengthen the defence in front of Ramsdale.
The highly rated Atalanta star is still recovering from a long-term injury, but Newcastle monitored him before and after the setback as they ponder a move.
Newcastle were chasing Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi but faced competition from Liverpool, forcing them to turn to other defensive options.
