Newcastle have reached an agreement to take a former Arsenal star on loan for the upcoming Premier League season, with the played cleared to undergo a medical.
The Magpies have found it hard going so far in the summer window, signing only Anthony Elanga and missing out on the likes of Hugo Ekitike and James Trafford.
While Ekitike joined Liverpool for £79million, Trafford had been one of Newcastle’s top targets for over a year and it looked as though they would make their move this summer.
Instead, though, Trafford has rejoined former side Manchester City in a deal that could rise to more than £31million in fees, meaning the Magpies needed to look elsewhere to strengthen in the goalkeeping department.
They have moved quickly to recruit, though, with an agreement now in place for Aaron Ramsdale to join the club.
Ramsdale, who was also monitored by Newcastle before his move to the Saints, is now likely move to St James’ Park on a one-year deal, with the club having an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.
Ramsdale, 27, worked with Eddie Howe before when they were both at Bournemouth together. Ramsdale played for the club between 2017 and 2020, before departing for Sheffield United.
In 2021, he got his big-money move to Arsenal for £30m, and was briefly their No 1 but soon replaced by David Raya. As a result, he joined Southampton last season, but the club finished bottom of the Premier League and were relegated.
Ramsdale moved to Southampton last summer for an initial £18m, and his contract runs until 2028, making an exit tough.
Newcastle, though, appear to have found a way, and Ramsdale will now compete with Nick Pope for the No 1 shirt.
The Magpies’ pursuit of Ramsdale comes after Trafford was heavily linked with a move to Newcastle and is even thought to have told the club he was willing to join last summer.
Howe’s side were in talks with Burnley earlier this window over a deal, and later tabled a £27m offer for the England shot-stopper.
But when Trafford left the Etihad Stadium two years ago, though, he signed a contract including a ‘matching clause’, meaning if City matched a bid offered by a rival suitor he would have to make a return.
Ramsdale, who recently lost his place in the England squad, has been given permission to travel to Newcastle for a medical and to finalise the deal.
