Ipswich Town's promotion back to the Premier League has revived an old connection, with Nick Pope now being urged as a possible summer signing for the club where he began his career. The 34-year-old Newcastle United goalkeeper, who was released by Ipswich at 16, could be allowed to leave on the cheap this summer as the Magpies weigh changes in goal.
Pope's path has long since moved well beyond Suffolk. He joined Charlton Athletic in 2011, went out on eight separate loan spells, then moved to Burnley in 2016 before Newcastle paid around £10 million for him in the summer of 2022. Since then he has become part of one of the biggest periods in the club's recent history, helping them win a first major trophy in 56 years and featuring in the Champions League.
That makes the current situation all the more striking. Pope has had a difficult campaign and has shared game time with Aaron Ramsdale, with neither goalkeeper able to nail down the starting berth. Newcastle are also linked with Bart Verbruggen, James Trafford and Mio Backhaus, a sign that the position could yet change again before next season.
Ipswich, meanwhile, have had their own problems between the posts this season. Alex Palmer lost his place to Christian Walton midway through the campaign, and Walton has since impressed as the club try to build after promotion. The new Premier League challenge comes only a year after Ipswich were relegated at the first attempt the last time they got up, and a proven top-flight goalkeeper would give them a direct answer to one of their most obvious issues.
Pope brings more than familiarity. He has ten England caps and just shy of 250 Premier League appearances, a record that would give Ipswich experience they badly need as they try to settle back at the level they have just regained. The question is whether Newcastle are prepared to let a player of that standing go cheaply, and whether Ipswich are ready to turn a former academy rejection into a fix for their next Premier League survival bid.
