Newcastle United stopper Ewen Jaouen looks set to be given his first competitive appearance for the club on Wednesday when West Bromwich Albion visit St James’ Park in the Carabao Cup’s second stage.
The French youth international arrived at United from Stade Reims during the summer transfer window in a move that could reach £24million, with the 20-year-old anticipated to serve as understudy to Lukas Hornicek throughout the campaign.
Jaouen featured among the substitutes during Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League encounter with Liverpool, though he had previously caught the eye during pre-season fixtures, notably keeping out two spot-kicks during a penalty shootout loss to Strasbourg at St James’ Park earlier this month.
Club insiders at Newcastle are understood to be highly optimistic about Jaouen’s long-term prospects and anticipate him mounting a serious challenge to Hornicek for the first-choice jersey this season.
His initial opportunity to demonstrate his abilities should arrive midweek, and Christophe Lollichon, who worked with Jaouen during his time at USL Dunkerque, is confident cup competitions will help ease his adjustment to English football, drawing comparisons with Arsenal’s David Raya.
Lollichon, who previously served as goalkeeper coach at Chelsea, suggested that Jaouen possesses no boundaries if he grasps the benefits of playing an assertive, sweeper-style role between the posts. The French coach indicated his belief that Newcastle’s aim for Jaouen this term would be to acclimatise to the elevated standard, noting that while the youngster commanded the number one position in Ligue 2 last season, the Premier League represents a different challenge entirely in terms of pace and quality.
According to Lollichon, Jaouen demonstrates strong professionalism and adapts swiftly to new environments, though he requires a supportive atmosphere to truly flourish. The coach observed that apart from Raya, English football does not typically feature many goalkeepers who adopt an aggressive, proactive approach, but suggested that cup fixtures could offer Jaouen valuable experience as he establishes himself at his new club.