Chelsea join Newcastle United in transfer tussle for Burnley player | OneFootball

Chelsea are the latest club to show an interest in James Trafford, with the keeper having plenty of admirers following Burnley’s relegation to the Championship.

The Clarets only signed Trafford from Man City last summer, in a deal that could reach £19m. Having starred for England’s U21 side as they won the European Championship, it looked like a real shrewd deal from the newly-promoted side.

However, Trafford endured a difficult first 12 months at Turf Moor, with Burnley relegated from the top-flight, and he managed to keep just two clean sheets, whilst he lost his place to Aro Muric for the run-in.

James Trafford transfer latest

Despite that, many view Trafford as a talented young keeper who has the potential to get better, and the 21-year-old appears to be on the radar of several clubs ahead of the window opening.

It has been claimed that Bayern Munich and Liverpool are tracking the stopper, and there was talk that Newcastle are preparing to lodge a bid for the ex-Man City youngster.

Yet, they won’t have a free run at Trafford, as TalkSPORT revealed that Chelsea have also shown an interest in the keeper.

Enzo Maresca is now in charge at Stamford Bridge, and the former Leicester City head coach is going to demand that his keeper plays out from the back, so Trafford could fit the bill.

But, the update does state that the Blues have three senior keepers on their books when Kepa returns from his loan spell at Real Madrid, so you would imagine that they would need to move at least one on to free up space in the squad.

James Trafford could have a big decision to make

Firstly, it should be said that there’s no guarantee that Trafford would play regularly at Burnley next season, as Muric came in towards the end of the season and did well. Plus, he has shown in the past that he can thrive in the Championship.

But, there are doubts about his future as well, so Trafford will need to look at all his options and see how much he values first-team football moving forward.

Realistically, he would be a backup at a club like Chelsea or Newcastle, and whilst it would be a good opportunity to join a big club, does he really want to be sitting on the bench at this stage of his career?

Burnley’s summer transfer plans

From Burnley’s perspective, they are going to have to make changes to their squad this summer, and relegation from the top-flight means they will need to make a profit in the market.

So, if they are offered the chance to get their money back on Trafford, it may be something that they consider, especially as they have Muric, who is a capable number one moving forward.

It’s not ideal to lose a player who has such room to improve, but the squad is too big as it stands, and the new manager is sure to want to make their own signings as well, meaning departures are necessary.

This will be one to monitor, but with all the noise around Trafford, it would be no surprise if he did leave the club in the coming months.