Newcastle United goalkeeper Matz Sels has completed his move to Anderlecht, it has been confirmed.
The Premier League club announced on their official website and Twitter account on Thursday morning that the 25-year-old had agreed to join the Belgian club on loan until the end of the 2017-18 season.
MATZ SELS, the Newcastle United goalkeeper, has joined @rscanderlecht on a season-long loan.
?? https://t.co/YbtSLLHaZV #NUFC pic.twitter.com/cnoz8wWjsc
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) June 22, 2017
Sels was destined to be one of the first senior players to depart the club this summer after he fell down the pecking order in the first-team squad.
He had only arrived at St. James’ Park a year ago, but after making just nine Championship appearances and keeping four clean sheets, he found himself on the Newcastle scrapheap.
The Belgian stopper has now sealed a return to his homeland in pursuit of more regular first-team opportunities with Anderlecht, who won their 34th Belgian First Division title last season.
Sels was a considerable success during his previous stint in his homeland, winning Belgium’s goalkeeper of the year award in 2015-16, having kept 18 clean sheets from 53 appearances for KAA Gent.
Newcastle Chronicle reporter Lee Ryder also claimed on his personal Twitter account that there is no buyout clause in the goalkeeper’s loan agreement, and that Anderlecht will pay his full wages.
There is no buyout clause in Sels deal but Anderlecht will pay his wages for a year #nufc
— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) June 22, 2017
Newcastle still have three senior goalkeepers at their disposal ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign, with Karl Darlow, Rob Elliot and Tim Krul set to compete for the No.1 jersey.
But academy product Freddie Woodman could also find himself in contention for a first-team role, having performed admirably during England’s Under-20 World Cup win earlier this month.