NEWCASTLE UNITED are close to completing the signing of England international Nick Pope from Burnley.

The Magpies are in advanced discussions with Burnley officials over Pope, who is set to move to St James’ Park for a fee of around £12m.

The 30-year-old has expressed a desire to leave Turf Moor in the wake of the Clarets’ relegation from the Premier League last season.

The emergence of Aaron Ramsdale has seen Pope fall to number three in the goalkeeping pecking order under England boss Gareth Southgate, with his failure to play a single minute of this month’s Nations League matches confirming that his squad place is under threat ahead of this winter’s World Cup.

Remaining in the top-flight will give him the best possible chance of making it onto the plane to Qatar, with Newcastle having offered him a Premier League lifeline when they made their move at the start of the week.

With Freddie Woodman and Karl Darlow both set to move on this summer, Howe wants to recruit an experienced goalkeeper to provide competition to the Magpies’ current number one, Martin Dubravka.

The Newcastle boss opted out of a move for Manchester United’s Dean Henderson when Nottingham Forest made a loan offer for the Cumbrian that will commit them to a £20m permanent transfer last summer, and while Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga was briefly considered as an alternative option, Pope rapidly became established as Howe’s number one choice.

New Burnley boss Vincent Kompany held talks with the goalkeeper and his representatives, and quickly accepted he would be unable to keep him in the Clarets squad next season.

Newcastle’s recruitment team are hoping to wrap up a deal ahead of the weekend, with Pope available to travel to Tyneside in order to complete a medical.

The Magpies continue to discuss deals for long-term targets Sven Botman and Hugo Ekitike, although neither transfer is believed to be close to completion.