Newcastle United are one of the busier clubs in the transfer market this month as Rafa Benitez is desperate to improve on a couple of positions in the squad. One of the positions that the manager has been actively looking for quality options is the goalkeeper’s role.
While Rob Eliot has done a decent job under the bar for the Magpies this season, Rafa has also used Karl Darlow in eight of the 24 games so far this season. It is evident that he does not have enough faith on either player and has been in the market for a shot-stopper, who can walk into the first team and improve their solidity at the back.
This has seen them linked with a number of goal-keepers from England and in Europe and the latest name is Pau Lopez.
According to Spanish news outfit Sport (print edn), Espanyol star Pau Lopez has recently knocked back bids from Crystal Palace and Newcastle United and is not keen on a return to England. Having spent a season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, failing to make a single league appearance, the 23-year old is out of a contract at the La Liga outfit at the end of the season and is wanted by a host of clubs in Europe.
So should Rafa make another approach?
A product of the Girona academy, Lopez first moved to Espanyol as a youth player back in 2007 but only broke into the senior side in 2014. He acted as the first choice for the club in the 2015-16 season, making 35 La Liga appearances and was loaned out to Spurs the next season.
However, his time in England was not what he needed in his career and he was back in Catalonia before the start of the current season. He was not expected to be the first choice at the RCDE Stadium, even as Spurs agreed on a deal for around £7m but an injury to Diego Lopez meant that Pau has now made 19 appearances in the domestic league and is the first choice for the Spanish outfit.
Though not the best with his distribution, the former Spanish U21 international is an excellent shot-stopper, whose technique is right out of a text-book. His positioning and ability to dominate his box along with his confidence to do the same is what makes him an attractive player, even at just 23-year of age.
But he is still a raw talent and needs some time before he can be the first choice for a top-tier club in England. He will want to play regularly, and will not be happy as an understudy to either Elliot or Darlow so Rafa is better off looking elsewhere to solve this problem.
