Newcastle United have completed the signing of French goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen, with the club paying around £18.5 million to secure his services.
Jaouen arrives from Stade de Reims in Ligue 2, representing a significant step up to Premier League football for the 21-year-old shot-stopper.
Goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon, who worked closely with Jaouen during a loan spell at USL Dunkerque in 2024-25, has spoken highly of his potential.
Lollichon previously told Jaouen “with your characteristics, you could be a goalkeeper in England one day,” words that have now proven remarkably prophetic.
The Frenchman’s pedigree as a coach is beyond question, having previously worked with Petr Cech, Thibaut Courtois, and Edouard Mendy at Chelsea.
Lollichon has gone as far as likening Jaouen’s profile to when he first laid eyes on Courtois at the tender age of just 17 years old.
Last season, Jaouen kept 15 clean sheets in Ligue 2, matching the record set by Mendy in a single league campaign for Stade de Reims.
Standing at 6ft 6in tall, the France Under-21 international is described as proactive in his box, technically sound with the ball at his feet, and capable of producing crucial saves.
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe believes Jaouen possesses a “calmness and presence that belies his age” and can “grow and improve within our environment.”
Lollichon has urged patience with the young goalkeeper, suggesting that throwing him straight into the Premier League starting lineup would be “a little bit dangerous” at this stage.
The experienced goalkeeping coach believes Newcastle will look to carefully manage Jaouen’s introduction to English football throughout his first season at the club.
“I think the objective of Newcastle is for him to observe the new level in his first season,” Lollichon said, outlining what a realistic pathway might look like.
“Ewen was a number one in Ligue 2 last season, but the Premier League is the top. The intensity, the quality of the players, is a big change but Ewen has this ability to observe and adapt very quickly.”
Cup football could provide the ideal platform for the goalkeeper to find his feet in English football, according to those who know him best.
“He could play English cup games — that would be a very good start — and will try to secure his position, which is normal,” Lollichon added, outlining his expectations for the season ahead.
Lollichon also offered a revealing character assessment of the goalkeeper, describing him as highly professional and notably reserved in his personality.
“He’s very professional. He’s not a guy who speaks all the time — he’s very discreet,” the goalkeeping coach said, painting a picture of a focused and determined character.
Jaouen showed his mentality during his loan spell at Dunkerque, bouncing back after losing his starting position before impressing against top opposition in the French Cup.
A standout moment came when he denied Jonathan David in a last-16 French Cup win against Lille, before stepping up to take a crucial penalty in the subsequent shootout victory.
Newcastle’s signing of Jaouen marks the first arrival of the current transfer window and signals a shift toward recruiting continental talent with long-term development in mind.
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