Nick Pope to pack Newcastle bags as new arrival jets in for medical - verdict
Nick Pope will almost certainly leave Newcastle United in the coming days after a deal was agreed to sign Lukas Hornicek.
The Magpies have triggered the 24-year-old's £25million release clause at Braga, and he is due to join the rest of the squad in La Manga after his medical is completed.
The news comes just days after the departure of Eddie Howe, who has stepped down after nearly five years in charge and will be replaced by Matthias Jaissle.
The arrivals of Hornicek and Ewen Jaouen this summer have made the situation clear for Pope - leave, or he will not play.
The goalkeeper is out of contract next summer and has been linked with a host of clubs, including Ipswich Town and Leeds United.
His options have narrowed significantly in recent weeks, however, with a level of uncertainty surrounding the 34-year-old's next move.
Where will Nick Pope go this summer?
Sources told Football Insider last month that Newcastle hoped to secure around £10-12m for Pope this summer.
However, with the goalkeeper's options dwindling and the Magpies making no secret of their desire to move him on, that fee appears could be more than what Premier League rivals are willing to pay.
Ipswich have registered their interest in Pope and the move would have made sense, given the fact that he spent much of his career there and had admitted to supporting the club.
However, the arrival of Kjell Scherpen in an £8.5m deal from Union Saint-Gillloise appears to have put such rumours to bed.
It is a similar case with Leeds, who are set to sign James Trafford and even with Hull City, who have signed Jack Butland and Konstantinos Tzolakis.
The Championship may now be an option for Pope, who will not want to spend one of the final years of his career on the bench.
What Pope has said about his future
From Newcastle's perspective, Pope deciding to see out the remainder of his contract would not be a bad thing.
The experienced shot stopper would be able to hand down his knowledge to his two young successors, and could provide a guiding hand in their adaptation to the Premier League.
Whether he wants that is another matter completely. "You can only ever focus on yourself and what is best for yourself and the team at the time," Pope said last year.
"It was always far from my thoughts to leave, but there was no doubt in my mind about playing for anyone but Newcastle United.
"I could quite easily finish my career with Newcastle, I don't want to sound like an idiot but I feel like I am a really good goalkeeper and have played a lot of Premier League games."