Newcastle can sign loanee for just £3.5 million at the end of the season

Newcastle can sign on-loan goalkeeper Martin Dubravka from Sparta Prague on a permanent basis at the season in a deal worth just £3.5 million.

Dubravka joined Newcastle on Deadline Day and produced a stunning man-of-the-match performance on his debut in the 1-0 win over Manchester United at St James’ Park on Sunday, making several crucial saves to preserve his clean sheet and displaying an unnerving assuredness when collecting crosses.

It was a display that repaid the faith shown by Rafa Benitez to bring him to the Tyneside and throw him in at the deep-end against Jose Mourinho’s side, with the Slovakia international now firmly in control of the no.1 shirt ahead of Karl Darlow and Rob Elliot.

And the Chronicle are reporting that Newcastle have already negotiated a fee with Dubravka’s parent club should Benitez wish to keep the 29-year-old beyond this season.

It’s understood that Newcastle paid Sparta Prague £1.7 million to sign Dubravka until the end of the current campaign and have the option to buy him outright for  £3.5 million in the summer – a relative drop in the ocean in the context of modern transfer fees that saw Manchester City spend £35 million on Ederson.