nick pope could be on the move again this summer, and Ipswich Town are being urged to look hard at the Newcastle United goalkeeper. The 34-year-old started his career at Portman Road, and a return would bring him back to the club that released him at 16.
That path has taken Pope from Ipswich to Charlton Athletic in 2011, then through eight separate loan spells before Sean Dyche brought him to Burnley in 2016. Newcastle paid around £10 million for him in the summer of 2022, but his place has become less secure this season.
McKenna’s Ipswich shortlist
Kieran McKenna is drawing up his shortlist ahead of the summer transfer window, and Pope sits neatly inside the kind of move Ipswich need to consider. The club have just won promotion to the Premier League for the second time in three years, so the goalkeeping spot is one of the clearest areas for strengthening.
His appeal is obvious from the football side. Pope is a ten-capped England international with just shy of 250 Premier League appearances, and he helped Newcastle win their first major trophy in 56 years as well as play in the Champions League.
Newcastle’s goalkeeper shake-up
This season has not been as settled. Pope has shared game time with Aaron Ramsdale, and neither man has nailed down the starting berth. Newcastle have also been linked with Bart Verbruggen, James Trafford and Mio Backhaus, a sign that the club are already looking at options in the same part of the squad.
His contract runs to the summer of 2027, but the speculation around a possible cheap exit has put Ipswich back into the frame. One line circulating around his future says, “it would appear as though his time between the sticks for Newcastle is soon to be over”.
Portman Road return
For Ipswich, the football case is tied to something more personal. Pope was a season ticket holder at the club in his youth, and the idea of bringing him back to Portman Road has been described this way: “an emotional return to Portman Road ought to be on the cards over the coming months”.
That leaves Ipswich with a clear summer decision. They need a goalkeeper who can settle quickly in the Premier League, and Pope’s mix of top-flight miles, England caps and familiarity with the club makes him the one name in this pool who already knows exactly what Portman Road feels like.
