Newcastle United have signed Sparta Prague goalkeeper Martin Dubravka on loan, according to reports in Dailymail. The 29-year-old custodian has played for clubs like Zilina, Esbjerg and Slovan Liberec previously and has nine senior appearances for his national team, Slovakia. The goalkeeper featured in 5 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for the Slovaks keeping two clean sheets against Slovenia and Malta in the process.
Dubravka’s only taste of English football came back in 2010 when his former club Zilina was pitted against Chelsea in the Champions League. He faired rather poorly as his side was beaten 6-2 in aggregate over the two legs. He is now set to experience further English league action with Rafa Benitez’s team. He has featured 15 times in goal for Sparta Prague this season keeping 7 clean sheets in the process.
His move to Newcastle will see him compete for a first-team spot against Rob Elliot and Karl Darlow. Neither of the goalkeepers has been able to command a first-team spot this season and Dubravka will believe he has a genuine chance to play in goal in the second half of the campaign. Elliot and Darlow have just kept five clean sheets between them in 25 attempts and Benitez will be hoping Dubravka can improve on those numbers.
Newcastle United endured a mixed start to their campaign in England’s top league. After a quick start, Newcastle United flopped and their loss in form saw them sink to the lower end of the table. They managed to pause their slump and regain their form thereby moving the club back to a respectable position in the league. However, their latest drop in form has seen the Magpies slide down the table once again.
They now stand 15th in the table and have collected just 10 of their last 45 available points. In a league where results after each match week can send a club from a relegation spot to the top ten, the Magpies will have to continue their fight if they wish to stay afloat this season.
On the transfer front, things have been very jittery and unplanned. After an impressive season in the Championship that saw Newcastle return to the Premier League, Benitez demanded more signings of Premier League standard to establish the club in England’s premier competition. However, with Newcastle unable to sell their existing crop of players, the Magpies has had to deal with a stagnant squad and that has frustrated Benitez. With the January transfer window now coming to an end, Benitez will be happy to have completed the signing of Dubravka.
