Martin Dubravka is still confident that he will start the season as Newcastle United's number 1 - according to his agent David Zik.
The Slovakia international is no longer an automatic choice between the posts after the arrival of England international Nick Pope following his £10million arrival from Burnley. But Dubravka is expecting to start the new season where he finished the old one, donning the gloves for United in the first-team.
However, in a candid interview with Sport.Sk, Dubravka's representative says that they would be considered a "bad agency" if they had not planned for the possibility of Dubravka losing his place. And while that moment has not arrived yet Zik revealed there was interest from the top five European leagues and Major League Soccer when it came to teams tracking the Toon star.
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Dubravka has sought advice from his agent in the days after Pope signed for the Magpies. His agent said: "We had a call with Martin about this topic. Of course, we are aware that Nick is a quality goalkeeper and domestic representative.
"On the other hand, Martin has nothing to fear. In terms of quality, Martin is one of the best in the Premier League. We'll see how it all develops. We understand that Newcastle United wants to have all posts doubled in quality. However, Martin has long been among the best goalkeepers in the Premier League."
But Zik was open minded about Newcastle's decision to draft in a new shot-stopper. The Global Sports Agency man said: "Clubs have to look ahead. It (signing Pope) could be a good alternative for Newcastle in the future. I believe that Martin will start the season.
"He has provided extremely high-quality services for the club over the past four and a half years. He kept the team in difficult situations many times. Perhaps thanks to this, as well as a responsible approach during preparation, he will defend his current position. "On the other hand, we would be a bad agency if we didn't also think about option B. However, we will deal with another alternative or alternatives only when it is necessary."
Dubravka's team also confirmed that they were given an indication of Newcastle's decision to sign a new goalkeeper for the 2022/23 campaign at the end of last term. He said: "The last time we spoke was at the end of last season. Even then, they did not rule out the possibility of an arrival, so we were somewhat expecting it. It is understandable that Newcastle's squad, given the club's financial resources, will continue to grow and expand. We feel that Martin's position in the club is strong, but we are still trying to look for new opportunities on the market.
"Similarly, as in the case of our other players. Maybe something will happen this summer, maybe in the next transfer window. In any case, we will try to be ready so that we have interesting options available to us the moment he decides to leave. Of course, it can still happen, but we believe that Martin will start the new season where he ended the last one, that is, in Newcastle's goal."
Yet Zik also made it clear that Dubravka has no interest in being a back-up man in the months ahead. He concluded: "If I can say something else for Martin: he wants to play. Either in Newcastle or somewhere else. He doesn't just want to cover someone's back, but he clearly wants to be in goal."
The situation is an intriguing one for Newcastle fans with proven fan favourite Dubravka a popular choice, but the arrival of England goalie Pope, who will also need assurances ahead of the World Cup in November, means a fierce battle is about to commence in pre-season.
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