In the wake of Nick Pope’s injury, David De Gea is amenable to a transfer to Newcastle United, should Eddie Howe choose to pursue another goalkeeper.

Pope will likely miss four to five months of action following a significant shoulder injury sustained during Saturday’s thrilling 1-0 victory over Manchester United at St. James’ Park by Newcastle.

Martin Dubravka, Pope’s backup who played on loan at Old Trafford for a portion of the last campaign, is rumored to be prepared to prove himself to Howe in the upcoming weeks.

Newcastle has seven games planned for this month, and Howe would like to wait to recruit a goalkeeper until after seeing how Dubravka handles a hectic schedule.

However, it is thought Newcastle may reevaluate the position if defensive issues or Dubravka’s woes worsen between now and the New Year, forcing the team to shop for a goalkeeper in the January transfer window. Another option available to Howe is the former goalkeeper Loris Karius of Liverpool.

De Gea, 33, is a free agent after spending 12 years at Old Trafford and making 545 appearances for Manchester United. He was released by the club at the end of the last campaign.

De Gea is thought to be open to joining Newcastle should the opportunity arise, despite his initial reluctance to return to the Premier League. The Tyneside club is understood to be aware of this.

After De Gea left United six months ago, Andre Onana took his place. After a rough start at Old Trafford, Onana has been content to wait for the ideal moment to present itself.

De Gea has been connected to several Saudi Arabian and European clubs. His wife Edurne, with whom he shares a young daughter named Yanay, is rumored to be eager to stay in Spain.

Some of De Gea’s former United teammates were not pleased with the way he left the team at Old Trafford.

Instead of exercising his option to extend his £375,000-a-week contract by an additional year, United had chosen to try and get him to sign a new contract on much less favorable terms.

Ten Hag, however, ultimately made the decision in April that he needed a new goalkeeper following several mistakes made by De Gea and issues with his passing.

Despite this, De Gea was awarded the Premier League Golden Glove for the most clean sheets (17) in the previous season.