Newcastle United are expected to address the goalkeeper position this summer, and one of Brighton’s goalies is among the names under consideration.
Responding to a supporter’s question, the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope confirmed Newcastle’s interest in Bart Verbruggen is legitimate, but he warned about the possible complications of a transfer for the Seagull’s goalie.
“Yes, Newcastle really like Verbruggen,” Hope said. “But there is a but… and that is he plays for Brighton, who are notoriously strong negotiators
and would demand a significant fee in excess of £40m.”
Hope also pointed to the competitive landscape and Newcastle’s preferred approach to the netminder market.
“There would also be competition, and Newcastle do not want to get drawn into a transfer tussle that extends way into the summer,” Hope said. “So while there is definite interest in Verbruggen, it comes with an asterisk, is what I’m told.”
A candidate who has been monitored for longer, according to Hope, would come from the German Bundesliga.
“Another name to keep a very close eye on is Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel,” Hope said. “Newcastle have watched him for a couple of seasons now and, while he does not necessarily fit the profile of a younger keeper at 28 years old, there is an acceptance that needs must in a position which will be addressed this summer.”
Kobel, Switzerland’s No 1, has 19 international caps and extensive European experience. The goalie has made 206 appearances for Borussia Dortmund as of March 5 and across five seasons, keeping two clean sheets against Newcastle during the 2023-24 Champions League group stage, a campaign in which Dortmund reached the final.
With two years remaining on his contract, Kobel could represent a lower-risk option compared to a protracted negotiation for Verbruggen, all of it contingent on what happens with Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale, whose loan deal is set to expire in July.
