Martin Dubravka deserves to be Newcastle United’s goalkeeper next season and the stats back it up

Martin Dubravka is arguably Newcastle United’s best pound-for-pound signing since the club returned to the Premier League five years ago. In January 2018, the Slovakian shot-stopper was a relative unknown when Rafa Benitez signed him on deadline day but everyone on Tyneside knew his name 10 days later following a stellar debut against Manchester United.

A string of cat-like saves shut out Jose Mourinho’s rampant Red Devils and earned the on-loan goalkeeper the man of the match award on his debut. Further heroics forced Newcastle into paying a measly £4million fee to make the move permanent before other clubs came sniffing for a bargain.

Dubravka quickly became a staple of the side and played every minute of the 18/19 and 19/20 top-flight campaigns. In the latter, he made the most saves (140) in the division - a feat that merited Newcastle’s Player of the Year award.

However, that has not stopped rumours that the Magpies are looking for a new goalkeeper this summer. A report by the Manchester Evening News in February claimed Newcastle were willing to offload Dubravka in exchange for Man Utd’s forgotten man Dean Henderson - someting that Eddie Howe was quick to deny. The England international may have youth on his side, but it is hard to argue that he has any other attributes that trumps the more consistent Slovakian.

There were reports last week that goalkeeper options are being drawn up by Toon chiefs ahead of the transfer window, with Chelsea flop Kepa Arrizabalaga a potential target. This would arguably be a downgrade on Dubravka - who has earned seven more clean sheets (33) than his Spanish counterpart in the Premier League.

The 33-year-old’s importance for Newcastle is proven by breaking down the stats. Since his