Newcastle United are progressing in negotiations with Reims to sign France Under-21 international goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen and are hopeful a deal will be struck.The 20-year-old has been identified as an exciting prospect, though the highest level at which he has played in senior football is Ligue 2, the French second division.Jaouen’s inexperience at the top level means he is unlikely to immediately be thrust into the No 1 spot after arriving, with at least one further goalkeeper expected to join this summer, should Newcastle conclude a deal for the Frenchman.Newcastle sources insist that a deal has not yet been agreed but there is belief that a compromise can be reached, potentially as soon as this weekend.Nick Pope has been first choice on Tyneside for the majority of the past four years and his future is uncertain. Yet even if Pope stays, Newcastle require at least one further shot-stopper beyond Jaouen.Aaron Ramsdale has returned to Southampton, with Newcastle opting not to enact the option-to-buy clause in his season-long loan deal, while John Ruddy, the 39-year-old, is leaving too once his contract expires at the end of the month. Mark Gillespie, the 34-year-old Geordie, has agreed a 12-month extension, but is a training goalkeeper.Whether Newcastle have the financial capacity to sign two senior ‘keepers remains to be seen, and may be partly influenced by what happens with Pope, but it would be quite the elevation for Jaouen to begin the 2026-27 Premier League campaign between the posts.Across 2025-26, Jaouen started all 34 of Reims’ Ligue 2 matches and kept 15 clean sheets as his side finished sixth in the table. He previously impressed on loan at Dunkerque in 2024-25, keeping seven clean sheets in 22 appearances.