Newcastle are close to signing Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Pope suffered relegation from the Premier League with Burnley last season, but he could be returning to the top flight in the coming weeks.
According to The Telegraph, Pope is close to securing a move to Newcastle, for a fee believed to be in the region of £8m-£10m. Burnley are happy to sell following their relegation, and Newcastle were keen to secure some competition for Martin Dubravka.
The report also claims that Newcastle are growing frustrated due to other transfer targets demanding excessive wages, with clubs and agents also inflating their fees.
Newcastle’s financial power has been widely publicised and it appears to be having a negative effect on their recruitment. Players, clubs, and agents will all be demanding inflated fees due to understanding Newcastle’s recent financial takeover, and it’s making it difficult to secure the signings of Sven Botman and Hugo Ekitike.
Targeting players such as Pope may be the route Newcastle now have to consider going down. Due to their relegation, Pope will have been reluctant to stay at the club, especially with the World Cup around the corner, so Burnley will now have to let some of their star players go at a cheaper price.