One mistake too many for Karl Darlow? Newcastle United should target Stephane Ruffier

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Suddenly, questions are being asked of Newcastle United’s Karl Darlow after a difficult run of form.

When the Daily Mirror reported in February that Newcastle United were open to letting Karl Darlow leave for Chelsea at the end of the season, Magpies supporters would have been a little taken aback.

The 26-year-old’s superb run of form prevented a post-festive blip from turning into a disaster and kept Newcastle in pole position at the top of the table.

However, after high-profile and utterly avoidable mistakes against Norwich and Bristol City, costing Rafael Benitez’s side four points in the process, the jitters that marked Darlow’s debut season on Tyneside appear to have returned.

He’s a confidence player; when he’s good he’s great but when he’s bad, well, this might just explain why the club made Matz Sels their first-choice at the start of the season.

However, with the Belgian losing Benitez’s confidence, Rob Elliot yet to return after a long spell on the sidelines and Tim Krul’s future uncertain, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Benitez could make a new goalkeeper a must ahead of a potential return to the Premier League where mistakes are punished even more ruthlessly.

And that bring us to 30-year-old St Etienne goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier. One of the most reliable shot-stoppers in Ligue 1 over the last decade, the French international understudy is interesting both Everton and West Ham, Foot Sur 7 reports, but few know the French market quite like Newcastle United scout Graham Carr.

Though the likes of Remy Cabella failed to make the grade, the success of Yohan Cabaye, Mathieu Debuchy and co means Carr continues to value Ligue 1 and, with Mike Ashley handing him a greater deal of control over recruitment according to The Chronicle, the Francophile feel could return to Tyneside.

Ashley may be a stickler for refusing to sign players he can’t sell on for a quick buck but Ruffier could be the hypothetical difference between survival and relegation.