Newcastle United are interested in signing James Trafford, but remain unable to strike a deal with Burnley.
The 22-year-old is Newcastle United’s number one goalkeeper target, as Eddie Howe aims to strengthen that department. James Trafford would arrive as competition, with Newcastle planning to keep Nick Pope.
Signing Trafford would be a nod towards the future. He would come in to compete with Pope before eventually replacing him. There has even been an expectation that he would arrive at St James’ Park, with Trafford keen to join Newcastle after missing out on the move last summer.
However, his price tag has proven to be an issue.
Newcastle United willing to pull the plug on James Trafford transfer
While Burnley want £40million, Newcastle are not going to pay more than £30million for Trafford.
As is the case with a lot of their targets, the Magpies are prepared to take their business elsewhere if a deal does not suit them.
According to the Telegraph, Newcastle have made it clear that they will walk away from the Trafford deal if Burnley do not lower their asking price.
They add that Newcastle were of the belief that Trafford had a ‘verbal agreement’ for Burnley to sell him this summer if a reasonable offer came in.
Why Newcastle United must not prioritise James Trafford pursuit
Newcastle United are absolutely right to pull out of a deal for Trafford if the price tag does not suit them.
While he would be an outstanding signing who would have an extremely lengthy Toon career, a new goalkeeper is not at the top of Newcastle’s list of priorities. More pressingly, they need a right-sided centre-back and a winger.
The Magpies must commit most of their resources to those two positions, as they aim to bring in players who immediately improve their starting XI. In contrast, Trafford would arrive to initially compete with Pope.
There will hopefully be a compromise between Newcastle United and Burnley, but Toon officials are right to back away if a transfer is going to hinder the other deals they want to do.
