Newcastle United’s goalkeeper, Martin Dúbravka, is facing suggestions to seek a new club if his situation at St James’ Park doesn’t improve. Despite not having played a single match this season and acting as a backup for the primary goalkeeper, Nick Pope, Dúbravka’s lack of playing time at Newcastle hasn’t affected his role with the national team.
During Slovakia’s 3-2 loss to Portugal in the European qualifiers, former Slovakia forward Róbert Vittek encouraged Dúbravka to contemplate his future with Eddie Howe’s team. Vittek’s comments were conveyed by Sport24.sk, where he mentioned, “With his performance against Portugal, he certainly caught the attention of several intriguing clubs. If he doesn’t get a chance at Newcastle, I hope he can secure a place at a club where he’ll play regularly in January.”
Dúbravka, who is 34 years old, returned to St James’ Park after spending the latter half of the previous season on loan at Manchester United. His stint with the Red Devils saw him limited to just two appearances in the EFL Cup. Former Liverpool defender Martin Škrtel has also expressed doubt about Dúbravka’s decision to join Manchester United, stating, “I don’t want to say it was a poor move; transfers to such clubs happen once in a lifetime, and he wanted to give it a try. However, he left as the number one goalkeeper and came back as the second choice.”
Škrtel, who made these remarks as a guest on Slovakia’s Sport1, joins Vittek in urging his compatriot to think about his future at Newcastle. He emphasized, “A goalkeeper with the exceptional skills he possesses deserves to be in action, whether it’s at Newcastle or elsewhere. I am confident that the match against Portugal was observed by numerous agents, coaches, and officials, and Martin Dúbravka’s name was noted in many scouting reports.”