Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United have opened talks to sign Burnley shot-stopper James Trafford before the end of the window.
Newcastle United might not have done enough in the ongoing transfer window but with time still in their hands, they are looking to make the most out of this situation. According to a report from TBR, the Magpies have reignited their interest in Burnley’s James Trafford and have opened talks to sign him.
Trafford was a part of the Manchester City youth ranks back in the day. While he made significant progress over the years, the 21-year-old couldn’t break into their first team and ended up making the move to Burnley last summer in search of regular first-team action.
The English goalkeeper didn’t have the best of debut seasons as his team got smashed in the Premier League. He was involved in 28 league games and ended up conceding 62 goals with just two clean sheets to his name. While he couldn’t help Burnley survive in the English top flight, his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
Newcastle making moves to sign Trafford
While Trafford still has three years left on his deal, he is unlikely to continue at the Clarets as they failed to stay in the Premier League. Burnley believes the English goalkeeper could leave this week and with Newcastle back in the mix things do get interesting.
The Magpies haven’t made a marquee signing this summer but they have surely added more quality to their ranks. While they have brought in Odysseas Vlachodimos and John Ruddy to add more depth to the goalkeeping position, Eddie Howe still wants another top keeper who can compete with Nick Pope for a place in the starting XI.
While they did fail to sign the 21-year-old earlier in the window, the Magpies haven’t given up yet. They are hoping to agree on a loan deal with an obligation to buy to bring him back to the top flight despite interest from elsewhere.
The Tyneside club’s scouts were in the stands to watch the former City goalkeeper in action at Sunderland during the weekend. They have now opened talks to sign Trafford who is valued at around £30 million and it will be interesting to see how things develop.
