Newcastle United are keeping tabs on Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who looks to be leaving Paris having been displaced by Italian prodigy, Gianluigi Donnarumma for the number one spot, according to Fichajes.
The Magpies will have to compete with Juventus and Sevilla for the 35-year-old Costa Rica veteran but will be confident that they can lure him to the Premier League with the prospects of a handsome paycheck and a rebuild that could end up likening that of Manchester City in 2008, in the early stages of their subsequent dynasty in domestic football.
Navas’ departure was always going to be a case of when, not if, after the Parisians signed Donnarumma for free from AC Milan last summer during their unprecedented influx of high-profile summer signings, and it’s unsurprising to see a few of football’s bigger names circling the keeper, who was part of Real Madrid’s era of European dominance between 2015 and 2018 when Los Blancos won three consecutive Champions League titles.
It also remains to be seen what this could mean for current Newcastle number one, Martin Dubravka – who after missing the first 12 games of the season due to injury, has been a staple between Newcastle’s sticks ever since, conceding just 28 goals in 21 league matches this season, which is impressive for a side who looked destined for the drop prior to the Slovakian’s return.
If Newcastle are able to fend off ‘kings of the free transfer’, Juventus, then Keylor Navas could be the first of many big-name incomings in this summer window as the Magpies will likely look to build on their current form and trajectory. If they’re able to hit the ground running next season, Newcastle may even flirt with the Europa League spots should the rebuild go to plan.