Magpies scout top Championship keeper Carl Rushworth, impressing with most clean sheets. Newcastle eyes a new No. 1 amid growing Premier League interest.
Newcastle United have reportedly been linked with a move to sign Brighton and Hove Albion loanee keeper Carl Rushworth.
According to Talk Sport, the Magpies had scouts in attendance to watch the Championship star goalkeeper in action for Coventry City vs Derby County.
Coventry are having a very impressive season, and are closing in on top-flight status for the first time since 1992. Rushworth has found himself an instrumental part of Frank Lampard's team, with many Coventry fans and Championship media alluding to him as the best goalkeeper in the Championship this season.
Rushworth has the most clean sheets in the league (15), narrowly leading fellow former Brighton goalkeeper, Christian Walton at Ipswich Town, with 13.
Newcastle are believed to be in the market for a goalkeeper as the summer transfer window comes around, as they look to improve on their current options of Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope. While the Geordies have links to James Trafford from Manchester City, amongst others, they are not alone in scouting Rushworth. Many other Premier League clubs are believed to be strongly interested.
Rushworth has had a quietly impressive career at the Championship and lower league levels. Starting his loans at Worthing, where he shone as a mere teenager, before progressing through numerous successful loan spells at Walsall, newly Championship-bound Lincoln City, Swansea City, Hull City and finally Coventry.
During his stints at Swansea, Hull and now Coventry, he had been nominated or awarded Player of the Season in some form.
Carl Rushworth has now been recognised by the EFL, and named as a contender for the Championship Team of the Season. A quite incredible rise for the shot-stopper.
In a recent interview, he claimed that he wanted to "feel at home". With the number of loans, Rushworth hasn't had the opportunity to stay put for some time.
The signing of Bart Verbruggen and the previous rise of Robert Sanchez blocked his pathway at the Amex for first-team football.
However, this summer, Verbruggen is being heavily tipped for a move. Newcastle could struggle to see a deal happen, as Albion would be more inclined towards an internal promotion for Rushworth to become number one than to outsource another goalkeeper.
At 24 years of age, and with an almost definite promotion to the Premier League, it would appear his next move would most likely be a permanent one.
The power of the lower leagues has built one of the country's hottest prospect goalkeepers, and should he elect to stay at Brighton, there is a serious potential for a future England international to be between the sticks.