Newcastle United may be close to completing their first transfer of the January window and it would see a long-term face departing.

The likes of Johan Bakayoko and Abdukodir Khusanov have been linked with moves to Tyneside, but Newcastle have always known that they must sell if they are going to buy this winter and there may be some money coming in soon.

With that in mind, here’s the latest on a potential outgoing that appears increasingly likely this month. 

Dubravka drops exit hint as big claims arrive from Saudi

According to Saudi outlet Al-Awsat, Al-Shabab have now ‘fully agreed’ a deal to sign Martin Dubravka after submitting documents to the Saudi Pro League. They claim he will leave after the Arsenal Carabao Cup match.

Dubravka himself has now commented on a potential move away, and sounds like a man who knows his time is up.

“Nobody has spoken to me about a contract extension yet, so I feel my phase is slowly coming to an end,” said Dubravka on his Newcastle future. “I’m going to take it a bit more emotionally because seven years at one club is a long time.

“Everybody knows me here, I know everybody here. My children were born here. If it has to end, I will accept it. What else is left for me. But it won’t be an easy departure.”

He seemed less reluctant to leave when he joined Manchester United on loan, but Dubravka has been a viable backup for Nick Pope since he returned from that spell in the North West and has filled in impressively over the past month. 

Right time to leave, despite recent form?

Pope’s knee injury has seen Heco’s forced reintroduction into the first team; but the Slovakian has impressed with four Premier League clean and some crucial saves against Tottenham.

However, when his English counterpart returns to fitness he will remain number one and leave Dubravka’s minutes scarce once again. From a club’s perspective we must be better sellers to avoid re-entering a PSR deficit and this window offers the final chance for us to get a fee for the soon-to-be out of contract 35-year-old.

Dubravka is evidently not getting an extension on his deal that expires in the summer, and we must take any fee no matter how minimal this January. Odysseas Vlachodimos should be more than adequate as a back-up goalkeeper, though he has notched up just 45 minutes this season in the Carabao Cup against Wimbledon.