Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has assured supporters on the future of Magpies goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
The Daily Mirror reported in January that Italian champions Juventus have scouted the Slovakian international, but Benitez is cool on the shot-stopper’s future.
“I’m not really worried about Martin,” he said, as per the Shields Gazette. “He’s very professional. If he’s doing well, everyone knows he’s a good ‘keeper.
“I can understand that some people are watching him and saying he’s a target for this team or another one. I don’t expect any surprises.”
OPINION
Benitez gets it spot on, here. Dubravka is obviously one of the better shot-stoppers in the Premier League and as such he will start to interest other teams. However, that’s no reason to think that’s he’s going to be leaving the club anytime soon. Benitez clearly expects him to stay where he is and that’s the main thing for Newcastle fans. Juventus already have a couple of decent goalkeepers so it’s a bit of a surprise to see them linked with Dubravka, but that just speaks to how well the 30-year-old has done since coming to Tyneside. Aside from this simply being a positive update on the player himself, it’s good news for the Newcastle fans that Benitez is speaking about the future of players at the club. That suggests that he may himself be on the brink of committing his future to the Magpies. He seems to still be very involved in the decision-making at the club and that in itself is great news for the team.
