Newcastle United have not had a great summer transfer window so far. The bigger headlines have been around exits of star players like Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, as well as last-minute transfer collapses involving Johan Manzambi and Victor Munoz.
So, Newcastle United will need to do well to bring back the positivity amongst the supporters. One way of doing that would be by signing some highly rated players.
One area in need of reinforcements is goalkeeper. The club did sign Ewen Jaouen from Reims earlier in the summer window. But is he ready to be a starter coming straight from the French second division?
On the other hand, there is uncertainty around the future of Nick Pope. The 34-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and has been linked with a move to Ipswich Town recently.
Newcastle United in talks to sign Japanese international
It looks like Newcastle United already have a potential replacement for Pope on their radar. But they might need to move quick as there is heavy competition for his signature.
According to Chronicle Live, Newcastle United have held talks over Zion Suzuki. The Parma goalkeeper’s agency has been in touch with the Magpies and a discussion has taken place on the 23-year-old Japanese international.
Suzuki is set to leave Parma and has been in talks with a host of clubs including Paris St-Germain, Aston Villa and Leeds United. He is valued at around £17 million and is within budget for Newcastle United, with wages not thought to be a problem.
Would Zion Suzuki be able to replace Nick Pope?
Suzuki was a standout performer for Japan at the World Cup. And the 23-year-old has been amongst the most highly-rated young goalkeepers in Europe for some time now.
To be very honest, that £17 million transfer fee is a bit surprising. One would have thought that Parma would be looking for a lot more for the Japanese goalkeeper.
At the World Cup, Suzuki made more high claims than anybody else. Also, he did not make any errors and had a save percentage higher than 70% with 12 saves in four games.
To be fair, he did slightly underperform his xGOT of 4.77, as he conceded five goals. But overall, it has to be considered a positive tournament for the Japanese goalkeeper, who could hold on to those gloves for the next decade to come.
In Serie A last season for Parma, he had a save percentage higher than 70% and was in the 88th percentile for high claims and 79th percentile for saves per 90 minutes.
That being said, there are areas he needs to work on as well. His passing efficiency is not up there with the best. And once again, he underperformed his xGOT of 26.60 by conceding 28 goals.
