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Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope’s future appears likely to be away from the club this season, but time is now running short.

Fresh uncertainty has emerged over Newcastle United’s expected sale of Nick Pope after a damaging night in Europe for Scottish champions Celtic.

Celtic’s failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League league phase this season has changed their financial picture in the closing days of the summer transfer window, leaving Pope’s proposed switch to Parkhead close to breaking down.

Celtic’s fall into the Europa League is set to hit the club’s finances for the 2026/27 campaign.

Under UEFA’s prize-money distribution system, reaching the Champions League league phase guarantees a club a starting payment of €18.62m (£15.7m).

By contrast, taking part in the Europa League brings in only €4.31m (£3.6m), creating a revenue gap of €14.31m (£12.1m).

In total, Celtic’s defeat to Austrian club LASK Linz is expected to cost them between £21m-30m in potential revenue — an especially painful outcome considering the advantage they had in the tie.

That financial setback could leave last season’s Scottish Premiership winners finding it difficult to justify the level of spending needed to sign experienced goalkeeper Pope.

FourFourTwo understands that Nick Pope’s Newcastle contract was structured so that the England goalkeeper’s pay rose year by year, meaning his current wages are likely to be above Celtic’s existing salary framework.

Although Newcastle are still prepared to approve the move as they look to trim their goalkeeping options, Celtic may struggle to fit Pope’s Premier League wages into their budget without the financial backing that Champions League football would have provided.

With no Champions League involvement and none of the guaranteed income that comes with it, Celtic’s hierarchy may now have to rethink whether Pope is still a necessary signing in the final days of the transfer window.