Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka appears to be closing in on a move to Premier League rivals Manchester United, according to the latest reports.

What's the word?

As per Football Insider, the 33-year-old has reached an agreement regarding personal terms with the Old Trafford outfit, with the Red Devils reportedly plotting a loan swoop with a £5m option-to-buy fee included in the deal.

This latest report suggests that those at St James' Park would prefer a permanent exit, having already bolstered their goalkeeping ranks with the signing of former Burnley ace Nick Pope earlier in the summer.

Dubravka had previously been linked with a move to Old Trafford in January, amid talk of Dean Henderson heading in the other direction, although the former Slavia Prague man ultimately rejected the proposal.

Howe finally ditch Dubravka

That news appears to suggest that Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is close to offloading the veteran, with the interest from Erik ten Hag's side allowing the 44-year-old to part ways with a player who would likely have been playing second fiddle at St James' Park this season.

With the £3.6m-rated man has racked up 127 top-flight appearances for the Tynesiders to date, the addition of the aforementioned Pope has shunted him down the pecking order, with the latter having started all three league games so far this term.

The Slovakia international's reduced status was highlighted even further in midweek as team-mate Karl Darlow was handed the nod between the sticks as a much-changed side triumphed over Tranmere Rovers in the Carabao Cup.

At one stage an "inspirational signing" for the club - in the words of former England 'keeper Paul Robinson - Dubravka has seemingly underwhelmed of late, having notably been criticised for a "poor" mistake by pundit Tim Sherwood against Brighton and Hove Albion last term.

The £38k-per-week dud did make 26 league outings last season, although he was once again hampered by injury in the early months of the campaign, having previously endured a lengthy spell on the sidelines in 2020/21 due to a heel problem.

Those albeit unfortunate stints on the treatment table have made him something of an unreliable presence for the club in recent years, while the 30-cap stopper is also prone to the odd blunder, having notably made the most errors (five) leading to goals in the league during the 2019/20 campaign.

That fact will ensure that few tears will be shed on Tyneside if his departure is confirmed, with Howe likely to be glad to get the Slovakian out of the squad.