‘Newcastle given James Trafford boost amid Ederson update at Man City’
Newcastle United and Manchester City have both set their sights on Burnley goalkeeper and England international James Trafford.
The Magpies have already missed out on key transfer targets this summer, as Eddie Howe vies to strengthen his ranks in preparation for the Champions League.
Newcastle had set their sights on the new Chelsea duo, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, as well as Manchester United summer signing Bryan Mbeumo.
However, Howe’s man could beat Man City to Trafford’s signature in a welcome boost for the St James’ Park outfit.
Newcastle can swoop for Trafford as Man City look to keep Ederson
Football Insider exclusively revealed that Man City would open talks with Burnley over Trafford, if Ederson moved to Galatasaray.
The Brazil international has been an excellent servant to Pep Guardiola’s men, winning six Premier League titles.
Trafford could have proven himself as a worthy replacement for the 31-year-old, having maintained 29 clean sheets as Burnley won promotion from the Championship last term.
However, The Independent revealed that Man City want to retain Ederson, as opposed to selling him to Galatsaray.
Even if interest from the Etihad Stadium club persists, Trafford should not want to re-join Guardiola’s side amid fierce competition from Ederson.
Contrastingly, amid Newcastle’s interest in Trafford, the 22-year-old should feel he can oust Nick Pope as Howe’s first choice between the sticks.
Trafford can shine at St James’ Park
Pope has been a largely successful signing for Newcastle since joining the North East club from Burnley in the summer of 2022.
| James Trafford stats | Championship 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 45 |
| Saves | 88 |
| Clean sheets | 29 |
The 10-cap England international has helped the Magpies qualify for the Champions League two times in the last three seasons, and performed well when Howe’s men defeated Liverpool in March’s Carabao Cup final.
However, Trafford is one of the nation’s best young goalkeepers and would have every chance of beating the 33-year-old to a regular spot in Howe’s starting lineup.
Furthermore, Pope suffered an injury in the 2023/24 season, which ensured that he could make just 15 Premier League appearances that campaign.
Trafford would be a significantly better backup option for Howe than veteran Martin Dubravka, while Howe could utilise the Champions League to rotate between the two Englishmen.
Additionally, Trafford will be determined to remain in Thomas Tuchel’s thoughts ahead of next summer’s World Cup, which can help ensure he maintains top standards between the sticks for Newcastle.