Burnley and Newcastle United are negotiating for goalie James Trafford, although the two teams have not agreed on a price for the player.
For more than a year, the England international has been a major target in goal, but the Magpies are unable to close a deal.
James Trafford was reportedly agreed to pay roughly £16 million to join Newcastle United in 2024. However, persistent PSR issues compelled Newcastle to back out of the agreement. After a year, a contract for the 22-year-old seems closer but is still not finalized. According to reports earlier this week, Eddie Howe’s team is valuing Trafford at roughly £30 million, and Newcastle and Burnley are reportedly in talks for the midfielder. The Clarets are probably attempting to get as near to that amount as they can because Burnley wants to make as much money as possible from the sale and Manchester City has a £40 million buy-back clause for Trafford.
The two clubs will need to wait a few more days before an agreement can be reached after the limited transfer window for Club World Cup teams ended. Fortunately, Newcastle has plenty of time to negotiate and is not in a rush to complete the transaction. Even though Trafford is still expected to sign with Newcastle, the team needs to consider other options in case the transaction doesn’t work out. Geordie Boot Boys has compiled a list of three goalkeepers the team ought to look into signing in lieu of Trafford in light of this.
Aaron Ramsdale
After a devastating relegation, Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale—a player Newcastle has been linked to on multiple occasions—will undoubtedly be seeking a return to the Premier League this summer.
Ramsdale, who is only 27 years old, has played Champions League football with Arsenal and was selected for the PFA’s Team of the Year in 2022–2023. Similar to Trafford, Ramsdale is an England international. He has a £25 million relegation release clause at Southampton this summer, so a move for him would be far less expensive than Burnley’s goalkeeper demand. Ramsdale’s distribution is one of his greatest advantages; Nick Pope, the current number one, appears to have a lot of trouble with it.
Andriy Lunin
Real Madrid star Andriy Lunin is the ideal goalie for Newcastle if they’re looking for someone who understands what it takes to win on the biggest stages. The Ukrainian, who has hardly played this season and is the Spanish Giants’ second choice behind Thibaut Courtois, has a fantastic chance to establish himself as Tyneside’s top option. After Pope missed months of action due to a shoulder injury, Lunin was linked to a move to Newcastle in 2023. A move never materialized, and a year later, Lunin won his second Champions League with Real.
Lunin made seven appearances for Real Madrid during the 2024–2025 season, with four clean sheets. According to a recent Defensa Central report, he will be available this summer for a mere £25 million.
Walter Benitez
Walter Benitez will definitely be the least expensive of the three options, despite being a little older than the others. Benitez is expected to depart the Eredivisie team on a free transfer after spending three years with PSV Eindhoven. Following a championship-winning season in which he participated in every game, the 32-year-old is taking a break. Benitez, like Lunin and Ramsdale, has a wealth of Champions League football experience. As recently as this season, he helped the Dutch team advance to the competition’s round of 16 and defeat Lloyd Kelly’s Juventus in the play-off round.
But Newcastle have to act fast if they want to make a deal for the goalkeeper. Crystal Palace is reportedly in negotiations for Benitez, according to The Athletic, but they still have time to steal a march.
READ MORE: sportchannel.co.uk
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