Newcastle decided on Thursday to sign international goalkeeper Nick Pope from local rivals Burnley in a deal worth nearly £10m ($12m).
The 30-year-old has agreed to sign a four-year deal with coach Eddie Howe’s team after undergoing a routine medical.
Bob has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the English Premier League in 141 matches with Burnley, but the latter’s fall to the second tier of the Championship pushed him to look for a replacement and “Now with my arrival here, I’m looking forward to the start” according to what he said.
Bob, who has made eight international appearances so far, will face a fierce three-block Newcastle rivalry with Slovakian goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, who was instrumental in pushing the team to eleventh place last season after being threatened with relegation.
By staying in the Premier League, Bob has improved his chances of being named to coach Gareth Southgate’s team for the World Cup in Qatar, scheduled for later this year.