Newcastle United are considered favourites to sign Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford in the summer.
Eddie Howe already has a handful of shot-stoppers at his disposal, but he wants to add yet another option to his squad and believes that James Trafford is the right person for the task at hand.
Newcastle United wanted Trafford in 2024, and for a while, it looked like a deal was done for the England international. However, the deal fell through, and Trafford remained at Burnley for the 2024/25 season.
The decision to keep him in the Championship is perhaps a blessing in disguise, as the 22-year-old has now kept a record for clean sheets in the competition and has been able to develop his game under the tutelage of former Newcastle player Scott Parker.
Trafford saved two penalties against Sunderland earlier this season, making Newcastle fans and sporting director Paul Mitchell fall even further in love with him.
With a possible transfer on the cards, Trafford has now made a big claim over the next step of his career, which Newcastle fans will be pleased to hear.
Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts – CameraSport via Getty Images
James Trafford backs himself to be in the Premier League next season
Trafford is a confident player – you see that through his mind games on the pitch. Despite having many shot-stoppers on the books, Newcastle will soon be in a position where Mark Gillespie and John Ruddy, two goalkeepers who have not made a Premier League appearance for the Magpies, will be out of contract.
Their exits still leave Nick Pope, Martin Dubravka and Odysseas Vlachodimos as options between the sticks for Howe, but all three players’ futures are under speculation, so there is no guarantee they will all be Newcastle players once the summer transfer window closes in September.
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Trafford will cost Newcastle £30m, but that is a deal the Magpies can afford following a cautious approach to recent transfer windows.
Now, talking to BBC Radio Lancashire, Trafford has made a big claim about where he sees himself next season.
“I believe I’ll be in the Premier League next season,” Trafford said.
“It’s where I want to play, it’s obviously the best league in the world. I wanted to get there as quickly as I could and it took two years on loan to develop.
“I’ve really enjoyed this season in the Championship, but next season I believe I’ll be playing in the Prem.”
By no means do Trafford’s comments confirm a move to Newcastle. Burnley are currently third in the Championship, just two points adrift from Sheffield United in the automatic promotion spots.
Could Newcastle sell Nick Pope if James Trafford joins?
This season has been a tricky one for Pope, who has had to juggle injury problems with poor form.
Dubravka took Pope’s place while he was out injured in the winter months, a responsibility the 36-year-old would take in his stride. The Slovakian’s form sparked discussions over who is the rightful first-choice goalkeeper at Newcastle, but that debate seems to have been put to bed following Pope’s recent performances.
Pope was sensational for Newcastle at Wembley, making a vital save in the second half to help the Magpies to their first domestic trophy since 1955.
As it stands, there have been no discussions to sell Pope this summer, with Howe still a big fan of the 32-year-old, who was a big part of Newcastle’s return to the Champions League in 2023.
However, Pope’s contract is up at the end of the 2025/26 season, so Mitchell and Howe have a huge decision to make.