Burnley, Luton and Blackburn face Crystal Palace transfer competition | OneFootball

A trio of Championship clubs face competition from Crystal Palace for Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers

Crystal Palace have joined the race to sign Mark Travers from Bournemouth amid interest from Blackburn Rovers, Burnley and Luton Town.

According to Alan Nixon, the Eagles have turned their attention to the goalkeeper following an agreement with Wolves for Sam Johnstone.

It has been reported by the BBC that Wolves are attempting to sign Johnstone following a collapse in talks with Arsenal for Aaron Ramsdale.

Travers has become a wanted man throughout the end of the summer transfer window, with several clubs identifying goalkeeper as a position that needs to be strengthened.

The Ireland international has been with the Cherries’ first team squad since 2017, but has slipped back to third choice in the pecking order of Andoni Iraola’s side.

Mark Travers transfer latest

Blackburn, Burnley and Luton are all eyeing a loan move for Travers ahead of the summer transfer window.

The market is set to close on Friday evening, leaving clubs with very little time left to get deals over the line.

Travers’ faces an uncertain future, with game time at the Vitality having been reduced significantly since Iraola’s appointment in 2023.

The 25-year-old made just four league appearances last season, so could look to move to have a greater chance of regular minutes (all stats from Fbref).

But it is understood that Travers would still only be second choice at Palace, whereas he would be fighting to be first choice at any of the Championship trio.

It remains to be seen what Travers’ preference would be at this stage, as he may also want to avoid taking the step down to the second division.

Dean Henderson is the current first choice in Oliver Glasner’s side, but Travers may be able to fight for a place in the team ahead of the 27-year-old.

The market closes at 11pm on Friday night.

Mark Travers’ Bournemouth experience

Travers emerged into the first team squad at Bournemouth after spending a year in the academy setup.

The goalkeeper made his Premier League debut at the age of just 19, featuring in a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

He played a pivotal role in the club’s promotion back to the top flight in 2022, featuring 45 times as they came second in the Championship table.

However, he has since struggled for regular game time, and spent the second half of last season on loan with Stoke City, where he made 13 league appearances.

Palace have financial muscle in Travers pursuit

Palace will be able to offer Travers the possibility of Premier League game time this season, to provide competition for Henderson.

The London club will likely also be able to afford a more competitive salary, which could entice him to stay in the Premier League and fight for game time.

But if he wants a guarantee of consistent minutes, then a move to the Championship makes the most sense.

Luton and Burnley could be in need of new goalkeepers if they sell Thomas Kaminski or James Trafford, respectively, and both sides will be aiming to compete for promotion this year so will be quite attractive second division offers.