It has been widely reported for over 12 months now that Newcastle United are in the market for a new ball-playing goalkeeper.
We can never be 100% sure on top targets, although it does seem like Burnley’s James Trafford is the man Eddie Howe would love to recruit ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Howe has already states that ‘speed is key’ to our summer business, urging the club to make early moves, but it seems a move for the Clarets No 1 may not be completely straightforward.
First of all, Mark Douglas has released a piece for the i Paper today on our pursuit of James Trafford, revealing that Man City could also be in the mix for their former Academy product.
He would qualify as a homegrown player for Champions League squad purposes and his ball-playing abilities make him a potential candidate to replace Ederson, who is out of contract next summer.
Like Douglas, The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg reports that the most serious interest has come from Newcastle so far, although he reveals that Chelsea have also enquired about Trafford, suggesting we aren’t the only Premier League club in the mix.
That said, reports today from Fabrizio Romano suggest Chelsea are prioritising a move for AC Milan’s Mike Maignan. For Newcastle’s sake, that may not be a bad thing if it clear our path to landing Trafford, providing City don’t make a move.
The i report that it will take ‘in excess of £30m’ from Eddie Howe’s budget to land Trafford this summer, with Burnley’s selling position much improved after his stellar season helped them earn promotion back to the Premier League.
There is also an overloaded goalkeeper department to sort out on Tyneside, which could lead to one or two leaving to make room for Trafford’s arrival.
Douglas hints that a potential move to Leeds for Nick Pope could be reluctantly explored by Newcastle should Trafford arrive, while forgotten stopper Odysseas Vlachodimos is likely to be loaned out.
It’s thought the Greek goalkeeper has become frustrated by his lack of football since a PSR-driven deal that saw him sign from Nottingham Forest last summer. However, a sale may not benefit the club from a PSR perspective given he arrived for £20m, meaning a loan move is more likely.
That isn’t simple, though, as it’s believed the former Benfica man isn’t keen on a move to Saudi Arabia and would only leave for a club in one of Europe’s ‘top five’ leagues.