Newcastle United have missed out on former Lazio superstar Thomas Strakosha, with the Albanian international set to sign for Premier League rivals Brentford.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the 27-year-old shot-stopper has agreed to join the west London side, with a move to the Premier League Strakosha’s ‘his biggest dream’ as the keeper now looks set to make this career goal a reality, much to the dismay of Newcastle.
The Toon were one of many sides interested in Strakosha, including the likes of Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Manchester United, however, Brentford have now won the race to sign the shot-stopper, with the former Serie A talent likely to replace David Raya as the club’s number one.
One of the Italian top-flight’s most consistent keepers over the past few seasons and labelled as ‘extraordinary’ by former coach Alberto Bollini, Strakosha left Lazio at the end of last season following the expiration of his contract, with the Premier League always the keeper’s ideal destination based on reports and speculation over the summer.
Indeed, Newcastle could have been an ideal destination for Strakosha given then Eddie Howe is eager to overhaul his goalkeeping options, with Nick Pope joining the northeast side earlier in the transfer window from Burnley. Yet the Toon won’t be landing Strakosha.
Strakosha has signed for the right club in Brentford despite Newcastle interest
Raya might have been Brentford’s keeper that got the Bees to the Premier League, but there’s no denying that Thomas Frank’s side always needed a replacement this summer given the Spaniard’s injury record, and signing Strakosha is a brilliant move for both the club and the player.
As we know, Strakosha is an international regular with Albania and has been one of the best and most consistent keepers in Italy with Lazio, and Brentford beating the likes of Newcastle and United to the 27-year-old’s signature is a huge coup for the west London side.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
