Newcastle United could be poised to capitalise on Thomas Strakosha delicate contractual situation at Lazio, as the club's long-serving goalkeeper is yet to commit to a new deal.
Reports indicate that the 26-year-old's primary reason for doing so is down to his current standing at the club, with former Liverpool number 1 Pepe Reina superseding him in the pecking order.
Strakosha has been reduced to just four appearances this season, all of which have come in the Europa League.
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Reina, by contrast, who joined Lazio from AC Milan last summer, has started all 13 Serie A games thus far, giving the 39-year-old's career a new lease of life.
And hence, the longer his Albanian counterpart goes without regular game time, the stronger his desire to leave the club will be - which is where Newcastle and Eddie Howe stand to benefit.
Italian publication Il Messaggero claims that Tyneside is "probably" the keepers next destination, should he choose to leave Lazio are many are expecting.
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While there are no concrete bids at this stage for Strakosha, interested parties will be massively encouraged by the player's reluctance to sign a new contract at Stadio Olimpico.
The Serie A club wishes to tie him down to a two-year extension, in order to avoid losing the stopper on a free transfer next summer.
However, it seems unlikely that Strakosha will become the first-choice stopper anytime soon, as current manager Maurizio Sarri prefers the distribution and footwork of Reina.
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This isn't the first goalkeeper that Newcastle United have been linked with this season.
Last month, we brought you news of apparent interest in Barcelona stand-out Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, although that now appears to be a non-starter.
With Karl Darlow currently in a patchy period form-wise for The Toon, it does look like the Saudi ownership group are aiming to sign a keeper at some point in the not-to-distant future.
Meanwhile, in the opinion of La Lazio Siamo Noi, if the Italian club wants to retain Strakosha beyond this campaign, they will have to demonstrate their 'confidence' in the player - or risk losing him for nothing.
Topics: Saudi Arabia, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Premier League, Eddie Howe, Newcastle United