Report: Goalkeeper Newcastle have in their sights could be set to leave club this summer but he won't come cheap

If you've watched Newcastle United on TV at all in the last few weeks you'll definitely have heard at least one commentator mention the amount of goals there have been in games involving the Magpies this season.

While Newcastle had a nice little run of scoring four or more goals in games at the start of the season, the tide has turned and now we're more likely to concede four than score four.

It's hardly a coincidence that this change occurred around the time that Nick Pope popped his shoulder and Martin Dubravka has stepped in to deputise.

We aren't pointing fingers here ... but ...

We're not pointing our finger solely at Dubravka, but there is a considerable difference between the two keeper's shot-stopping numbers this season. It's therefore hardly surprising that a new goalkeeper could well be on Eddie Howe's wish list this summer.

Loris Karius is likely to depart this summer and surely we have to move on Mark Gillespie who is stealing a living at his boyhood club. Dubravka is a half-decent keeper but nowhere near Pope's level, and even Nick Pope has his issues - the collective sharp intake of breath around St James' Park when the ball is played to his feet is a big indicator of this.

One 'keeper that Newcastle have been linked with is Valencia's Giorgi Mamardashvili and according to Estadio Deportivo the Georgian stopper could be on his way out of the club in the summer with several clubs circling.

Signing Marmadashvili could cost a pretty penny

The 23-year-old has already built up a reputation for being one of the game's best, but at that age, he's just a baby in goalkeeping terms meaning he's only likely to get better, which is why competition for his signature is likely to be fierce.

He has a release clause of an eye-watering £85million, but if the player is fixing to leave, it likely won't take activating the full release clause to strike a deal, unless Valencia successfully manage to play each interested club off each other in negotiations and push the price up to a point that they can no longer refuse.

With the FFP/PSR rules set to be ripped up and a new set of regulations put in place, Newcastle are expected to have a £200million plus budget this summer, but whether throwing almost half of that on a goalkeeper is on the agenda is a very unlikely idea. Hopefully we're involved in some way and if we can manage to beat other teams to the punch Marmadashvili would actually be a statement signing.