Jahnoah Markelo is the name attached to a fresh goalkeeper link, with Newcastle United offered the chance to sign Carl Rushworth after intermediaries made contact about a possible move. Newcastle United is assessing options ahead of the new Premier League season, and the report adds another name to Eddie Howe’s search for a short-term replacement for Nick Pope.
Rushworth, 25, spent last season on loan at Coventry City and is valued at €16 million on Transfermarkt. Graeme Bailey reported that intermediaries have now spoken to Newcastle United and Leeds United about him, while Brighton & Hove Albion is prepared to cash in if Bart Verbruggen stays.
Newcastle United and Leeds United
The contact gives Newcastle United a direct route into a deal rather than a loose summer link. TEAMtalk said intermediaries reached out about Rushworth, and Leeds United was approached as well, which means Brighton & Hove Albion can now gauge interest from more than one club before deciding whether to open the door.
That matters because James Trafford has long been linked with Newcastle United as the preferred goalkeeping target. Rushworth sits in the same search area, but his path is shaped by Brighton & Hove Albion’s own plans and by whether Newcastle United wants to move from interest to a formal bid.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion’s decision is tied to Bart Verbruggen, and Rushworth will not sign a new contract without assurances that he will become the club’s first-choice goalkeeper soon. That leaves Brighton & Hove Albion balancing a sale against the risk of losing control of a 25-year-old who is still seen as a future No. 1 rather than a finished article.
Graeme Bailey wrote that many within the game regard Rushworth as a future England international and a genuine contender to eventually succeed Jordan Pickford as the Three Lions’ first-choice goalkeeper. For Newcastle United, that adds a second layer to the interest: a short-term answer for Nick Pope now, and a player with a much longer ceiling if the move develops.
Coventry City and Transfermarkt
Coventry City still sits in the picture because Rushworth spent last season there on loan and remains a target for Frank Lampard’s side. Transfermarkt’s €16 million valuation gives Brighton & Hove Albion a reference point, but the more immediate issue is whether Newcastle United turns intermediary contact into a bid while Leeds United stays in the race.
That is where the story now sits: one goalkeeper, two clubs approached, and Brighton & Hove Albion deciding whether Verbruggen’s future opens the door. If Newcastle United wants a clean run at Rushworth, it will have to act before Brighton & Hove Albion settles the question at the heart of the player’s next move.
