"Yeah, I can only think and say positive words about Nick," Matthias Jaissle said in comments reported by chroniclelive.co.uk. The Newcastle manager has publicly backed Nick Pope while the goalkeeper remains in an awkward role at Newcastle, and reports now suggest Bayern München are less convinced than they were a few weeks ago. Pope was made available for transfer in the last month of the summer window.
Jaissle's case for Pope
Jaissle's praise was not just about manners. He said Pope "knows about his role, and he reacted really professionally on that," adding that his experience makes him "a leader" and that Newcastle are "all happy that he's with us." That lines up with the way Pope has been used this season, because he has made only 5 Premier League appearances and played 450 league minutes, all of them full matches.
The wider point is that Pope has not been frozen out because of attitude. Jaissle said he worked closely with younger stoppers Lukas Hornicek and Ewen Jaouen for the first half of the season, which makes the public support more pointed. This is a goalkeeper with 130 Newcastle matches and 10 England appearances behind him, even if his place has become less certain.
Bayern's interest and Newcastle's decision
Christian Falk told football365.com that Pope was discussed during the international break at Bayern Munich, but that he is "no longer really considered an option." That sits against the more open reporting around the deal and against the fact that Pope's Newcastle contract is due to expire in June 2027.
Bayern's search is clearly still active, but the practical issue is whether they want a keeper prepared to sit behind Jonas Urbig. Falk said Bayern are prioritising German goalkeepers, with Finn Dahmen, Bernd Leno and Marvin Schwabe among the names being discussed. For Pope, the immediate reality is simpler, he stays a trusted senior figure at Newcastle, even if the transfer noise has not gone away.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 6 outlets. How we work →
