Newcastle United Opinion: Magpies should sign Kevin Trapp to replace Martin Dubravka
According to The Shields Gazette, Newcastle United have been offered the chance to sign PSG goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, who is currently on loan at Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Shields Gazette understands that Trapp’s agent Pini Zahavi has notified Newcastle of his availability in the summer following a fruitful loan spell in the Bundesliga, although his chances of securing a move to the Premier League would be dented if Gianluigi Buffon leaves PSG.
This is not the first time though, that Zahavi has made the headlines at Tyneside, with the Isreali agent recommending Bruno Genesio and Jorge Jesus for the managerial role at St. James’ Park earlier in the season. (h/t Shields Gazette)
Manager Rafael Benitez is reportedly keen to provide Martin Dubravka with more competition and given that the Slovakian has attracted interest from Serie A champions Juventus, the Magpies might end up losing his services this summer. (h/t Daily Star)
As a matter of fact, Trapp could be considered as a upgrade on the 30-year-old despite the latter earning good reviews for his performances between the sticks this season.
Newcastle already have the likes of Karl Darlow, Rob Elliot and Freddie Woodman in that department as viable back-ups but Benitez hasn’t shown much confidence in either of the aforementioned players.
Karl Darlow and Rob Elliot featured for the Magpies in the Premier League last season before Dubravka was brought in on loan from Slavia Prague.
The veteran eventually replaced both of them towards the end of the previous season and it has been all one-way traffic this term, with Dubravka establishing himself as the undisputed No.1.
Highly-rated England U21 international Freddie Woodman has the potential to take over the reins from Dubravka but he has never really got a fair crack of the whip at St.James’ Park.
As things stand, Darlow, Woodman and Elliot are all expected to head for the exit door come the end of the season to seek greener pastures.
Dubravka has done pretty well this term but one cannot help but feel that the Magpies need a more reliable presence between the sticks. The Slovakian isn’t the most agile of goalkeepers and has occasionally struggled to deal with shots from close range.
In fact, the lack of competition for places between the sticks has made his performances look a lot better.
To put things into perspective, Newcastle do have plenty of issues to sort out in other areas of the pitch but they would make a big mistake by letting the opportunity to sign Kevin Trapp go begging.
The German international is a proven shot-stopper at the highest level and he definitely has the calibre to push Dubravka for a spot in the team, or even replace him for that matter.
Trapp rose to prominence with his boyhood club Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga before joining Eintracht Frankfurt in 2012 following Kaiserslautern’s relegation to the second tier.
The 28-year-old was signed by PSG back in 2015 and held the No.1 spot before being usurped by Alphonse Areola and Buffon in the pecking order.
However, he has proven his worth on his return to Frankfurt on loan, playing a key role in the club’s march to the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League where they lost to Chelsea on penalties.
A seasoned campaigner in the Bundesliga, Trapp has plenty of European experience under his belt as well, which should be an appealing prospect for a club like Newcastle.
Unlike Dubravka, who can be sloppy at times, Trapp is a more assured and reliable presence between the sticks who likes to play with conviction and authority.
The German has razor-sharp reflexes and is adept at dealing with shots from all ranges, boasting of a shot-saved percentage of 72 for Frankfurt this season, averaging 3.4 saves per game.
According to Sofascore, Dubravka has committed 3 big errors that have led to goals, while Trapp has none against his name this season.
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Quite clearly, Trapp looks more like the real deal for Newcastle and the Magpies should capitalise on this opportunity to lure the German to the north-east of England.
