Newcastle United snapped up goalkeeper Martin Dubravka on deadline day.
Newcastle United’s deadline day signing Martin Dubravka has told the club’s official website that the club first made contact with him about a deal in December.
The Magpies needed reinforcements on deadline day having only previously managed to bring in Kenedy on loan from Chelsea, and manager Rafael Benitez was handed two new signings.
Striker Islam Slimani arrived on loan from Leicester City to boost Benitez’s attacking options, whilst goalkeeper Martin Dubravka later signed on loan from Sparta Prague.
With Benitez seemingly unconvinced by both Rob Elliot and Karl Darlow, signing another goalkeeper this month had to be a priority for Newcastle, and they secured little-known Dubravka before the deadline.
Dubravka, 29, only joined Sparta Prague from Slovan Liberec last summer, but his impressive displays in the Czech Republic have seen Benitez make his move, landing the Slovakian international until the end of the season.
It’s now believed that Dubravka will usurp Darlow and Elliot to become Newcastle’s first choice, and the shot-stopper has discussed his move in an interview with the club’s official website.
Dubravka revealed that Newcastle actually first made contact over a potential deal back in December, but he was trying to push their interest to the back of his mind until the Magpies firmed up their interest.
Dubravka also noted that he was too nervous to sleep before deadline day as he didn’t know whether his deal would go through, and he can’t even feel excited just yet after such a hectic time finalising his move.
“I spoke with my agent many times [over the last few days] and they told me what was likely to happen in the next few hours,” said Dubravka. “I couldn’t sleep during the night because I didn’t know what was going to happen, then somebody told me that I should fly across on an early-morning flight. Then suddenly things changed again, I was just waiting by the phone and waiting for an answer from the clubs. That was my day. Maybe I will feel [the excitement of joining a new club in the next few days] because right now it is too hectic. Maybe after a few days I will just realise that this is a big opportunity for me and my family. I am curious but I feel right now that everything is going in the right way.”
“It means a lot for me that the manager said he had interest in me. I appreciated that a club as big as Newcastle had this interest in me. When my agent called me in December and told me that it could happen, I was like: ‘OK, this could be a very great opportunity in my career and my life.’ But I didn’t want to think about it too much until they made an offer. Then, in one second, everything was completely different. I played in England a few times in the youth categories, and with the national team a few months ago,” he added.
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