With sales said to be vital to our hopes of bringing in a new signing (or two) in the upcoming January transfer window, talk of potential outgoings has been a key theme over the past few weeks.

Sean Longstaff has been linked with a move, as has Miguel Almiron, Kieran Trippier and Harvey Barnes, but it could be one of our many goalkeepers who may be heading for the exit door.

Dubravka to depart?

If reports coming out of Saudi Arabia last night are true, Martin Dubravka could be closing in on a move to the Middle East next month.

According to Ariyadhiah, one of the biggest news outlets in Riyadh, Al-Shabab FC have ‘agreed a deal in principle’ over a January move for the Newcastle United goalkeeper.

Dubravka made his first Premier League appearance of the season on Saturday, keeping a clean sheet in our 4-0 win over Leicester City in Nick Pope’s absence.

Deal may be reliant on Pope injury

With Pope currently injured and expected to miss the next month, I wonder if a deal has been ‘agreed in principle’ on the basis Pope is back in action in a few weeks time.

We do have the more than capable Odysseas Vlachodimos in reserve, along with John Ruddy and Mark Gillespie, so even if Pope is due to miss half of January, we should be in a position to sell Dubravka.

The Slovakian is out of contract at the end of the season, so a January move could make sense for all parties at this stage of his career.

For Dubravka, it’s perhaps one last payday for the 35-year-old as he edges towards the final chapter of his career. For Newcastle’s it’s also our last chance to land some sort of fee for the soon-to-be out of contract stopper

Should he make the switch, the former Man Utd loanee would join the likes of Yannick Carrasco and Daniel Podence at the Saudi Pro League side, although Al-Shabab manager Vítor Pereira could be heading in the opposite direction as he prepares to take the Wolves job.