Eddie Howe given huge boost that £35m ‘generational’ signing will join Newcastle United

Newcastle United are front-runners to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili as Valencia must sell, according to reports.

The Georgian goalkeeper is currently preparing for Euro 2024 - the first time his nation have reached the tournament. Mamardashvili starred in La Liga over the past three campaigns and is still just 23.

Despite Valencia finishing ninth, the shot-stopper kept the fourth-most clean sheets in the division last season. He has been billed as a modern-day goalkeeper that could propel Newcastle to the next level.

The Magpies continue to be linked with a new man between the sticks. Aaron Ramsdale and James Trafford are domestic names rumoured to be on Newcastle’s radar.

Both keepers found themselves out of favour by the end of 2023-24 but still made England’s provisional squad for the Euros. Nick Pope, by contrast, failed to make the cut following a frustrating season.

The Toon No.1 spent most of the campaign sidelined with a shoulder injury, returning for Newcastle's final-day showdown against Brentford and the trip to Australia. Eddie Howe dismissed uncertainty about Pope’s future when grilled by the media last month.

“Yeah absolutely (whether Pope has a future at Newcastle),” he said. “That (speculation) has not come from anyone connected with the football club, I can assure you of that. Nick is a vital part of what we are doing.”

But that reassurance has done little to simmer reassurance about a potential goalkeeper arriving. Spanish outlet Super Deporte claim Valencia must sell to buy and Mamardashvili is firmly in the shop window for £35million.

They also suggest Newcastle as being “best-placed” to land the 23-year-old. No agreement is understood to have been met for the highly-rated goalie, who kicks off his Euro 2024 quest against Turkey on June 18.