Newcastle United have now reportedly been offered the opportunity to finally sign James Trafford in a deal that would see Tino Livramento head in the opposite direction to Manchester City.
The Magpies certainly have a lot to think about ahead of 2026. With new sporting director Ross Wilson in place, they'll be hoping to avoid the chaos of missing out on top targets to hand Eddie Howe some much-needed reinforcements.
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[He'd revive Elanga: Newcastle could hire "one of the best managers in the PL"](https://www.footballfancast.com/hed-revive-elanga-newcastle-could-appoint-andoni-iraola/ "He'd revive Elanga: Newcastle could hire "one of the best managers in the PL"")
There have been whispers of a potential managerial change at Newcastle after a poor start to the season.
Howe's side enter this weekend's clash against Man City in desperate need of three points, having entered the international break off the back of a shock 3-1 defeat at the hands of Brentford. Currently sat as low as 14th in the Premier League, the Newcastle boss reiterated that he's looking for a response from his players on Saturday night.
"We're looking forward to the match. We have a lot to prove to ourselves after the last couple of away games in the Premier League. We're desperately keen to try to put that right.
"It's a really tough fixture, we know Manchester City's qualities, but we want a raucous St James' Park. The home support this season has been incredible and we've played well at home too.
"Regardless of results, you have something to prove every game. I want the players to respond this weekend - everyone is hurt by those two away games we had, no one more than myself. We've been looking deep into everything we do and planned and plotted a route ahead."
There would be no better way to get back on track than a victory against a side with Man City's quality, but then it's about consistency for the Magpies. On the pitch, they must turn things around in preparation for what could be a busy January transfer window.
Already, reports are claiming that they're still interested in signing Trafford and could be handed an interesting opportunity to do so in 2026.
Newcastle offered chance to sign James Trafford
As reported by TeamTalk, Newcastle have now been offered the chance to sign Trafford by Man City, who are looking to strike a swap deal involving Livramento. The Citizens were interested in the versatile right-back in the summer, but were priced out of a move thanks to the Magpies' eye-watering £80m price-tag.
Now, just months later, it looks as though City are once again interested in a move for the England international and are already willing to cut ties with Trafford to make a move happen.
Trafford-Man-City-England
James Trafford
The shot-stopper returned to the club with the hope of finally becoming their number one, only for Gianluigi Donnarumma's arrival to bring an end to those plans. Left to watch on from the bench ever since, he could certainly do with another call from those in Tyneside.
That said, whilst Newcastle's admiration for Trafford is clear, it remains to be seen whether he's valued higher than Livramento in Tyneside. The goalkeeper has been described as "incredible" by Pep Guardiola, but even that may not be enough to convince Newcastle to sacrifice their star defender.
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