It may have taken close to a month, but Newcastle United finally look to set to announce their second senior signing of the season.

Eddie Howe’s main focus this window has been bringing Premier League-proven players into his side.

And a reunion with former Bournemouth goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale will certainly feel like a boost in the boss’ eyes.

It’s a safe signing of a player who offers something many of our current goalkeepers cannot – but will he be the start of a fresh spree of players coming to Tyneside this summer?

Loan deal agreed for Ramsdale – details revealed

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Newcastle have agreed to sign Aaron Ramsdale on a season-long loan with an option to buy from Southampton.

Ornstein notes that the deal has a “sizeable fee” attached to it, which makes sense considering the Saints spent £25m just over a year ago bringing Ramsdale back to the South Coast.

It’s a quick response from us to losing out on James Trafford, who was officially announced by Manchester City as their latest signing on Tuesday afternoon.

Crucially, this being an option to buy rather than an obligation will be of some comfort to Newcastle fans, and we can perhaps anticipate a more dedicated search for a future long term keeper next season should Ramsdale fail to live up to expectations.

What next for Newcastle United?

The news here almost certainly signals the end of both Martin Dubravka and Odysseas Vlachodimos’ current tenures at the club.

Dubravka’s future has been up in the air for months now, and with Ramsdale likely taking the no.2 spot at the club, now feels like the right time for the Slovakian to move on and fight for first team minutes elsewhere ahead of the World Cup next summer.

Vlachodimos’ future looks less clear: he’s rejected a move to Mexico recently, and is keen to stay in Europe if we can find another club to take the Greek international on loan.

In regards to the current crop of keepers, Howe must now choose between Pope and Ramsdale as to who he wants to start between the sticks next season.

Pope, the more senior of the pair, is a trusted name under Howe, and was of course part of our Carabao Cup winning squad. Having cruelly missed out on some games because of injury during our last Champions League campaign, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see him given the nod to play in Europe.

Ramsdale meanwhile is fighting for a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad next summer, giving him plenty of motivation to impress.

Far better at distribution and playing with his feet than Pope, Ramsdale could be key if we want to make the most of having the likes of Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga, and playing on the counter much like he did at Arsenal.