Newcastle set to sign Reims goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen for £18.65m

Newcastle are set to confirm the signing of Reims goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen, with the 20-year-old flying to England to undergo medicals after the club negotiated a lower fee for the highly rated prospect.

Initial asking price had been cited at £24m and early estimates suggested a figure north of £20m, but the deal is being finalised at £18.65m — a saving of nearly £6m on the original valuation.

The transfer illustrates a shift in Newcastle's strategy toward recruiting elite young talent rather than only established stars. Jaouen is regarded as a long-term project and is expected to serve as a high-quality deputy in the immediate future rather than immediately displacing the club's established goalkeepers.

Nick Pope could be targeted by Ipswich Town or Leeds, which might open a starting-role vacancy; Burnley's James Trafford has been heavily linked with moving to St James' Park to fill that position.

England, Newcastle

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