Nick Pope set for medical ahead of £10m transfer to Newcastle in bid to secure England World Cup spot

NICK POPE will have a medical in Newcastle on Thursday ahead of a £10million move from Burnley.

A deal with the Championship Clarets has been struck and the England keeper will become the Saudi-owned Magpies’ second summer signing.

PA

Nick Pope will undergo a medical at Newcastle on Thursday ahead of a £10m move[/caption]

Pope, 30, had one year left on his Turf Moor contract but is desperate to stay in the Prem to secure a place in Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad.

Eddie Howe made his move last week and Pope will battle Martin Dubravka for the No1 jersey.

Pope will follow left-back Matt Targett to Tyneside – and hopes are rising that defender Sven Botman will soon follow.

Toon have been reluctant to play ball with Lille after the French club upped their asking price from £30m to £37m but remain in talks.

Reports in Italy suggest AC Milan’s interest in the Dutch centre-back has cooled.

And Botman’s Lille team-mate Jose Fonte yesterday dropped a hint that he will soon be at St James’ Park.

On talkSPORT, the ex-Southampton defender said: “Watch out for Newcastle on that one.”

In the striker department, Newcastle have been joined in the race to sign highly rated French forward Hugo Ekitike by three European jugganauts.

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 Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are all reportedly keen on Ekitike.

Borussia Dortmund have also expressed an interest over the past few months, but they are now looking at alternative options.