Pope has been sorely missed as Newcastle conceded 62 goals last season, way up from the figure of 33 that they let in during 2022/2023.
With no European football, we should see a reversion to form and Newcastle should be better defensively as a whole with less fixture congestion in their schedule.
However, Pope has come back from a dislocated shoulder injury, which is prone to reoccurrence so he may miss some games as he’s getting on in age as well.
One to watch and see his re-integration back into the starting 11 before making an investment.
Martin Dúbravka (£4.5m)
An able backup to Pope, Dúbravka could offer good value in defence if Pope sustains another long-term injury.
