"£15m-£20m" - Newcastle United plotting Burnley transfer raid | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Premier League side Newcastle United are interested in signing Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, as reported by Alan Nixon this past weekend.

The Clarets had a very disappointing 2023/24 season, so much so that the club has been relegated back to the Championship.

So, there could be movement from Turf Moor this summer as clubs eye some of their key players.

The season has only just finished, and already Aro Muric and James Trafford are being linked with moves away.

Newcastle United plot James Trafford move

According to Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Trafford is being looked at by Premier League side Newcastle United, with them keen on signing the ex-Manchester City man as they want a long-term replacement for Nick Pope.

As well as Trafford being linked with a move away, Nixon also adds that Wolves and Celtic are keen on signing Muric this summer, with Burnley valuing the goalkeeper at £10 million.

Muric has been with Burnley since 2022 and was pivotal in the club’s promotion campaign in the 2022/23 season.

Burnley will not want to let both goalkeepers leave this summer, but Nixon added that they will struggle to keep hold of the pair and to keep them happy, leaving the door open for one to possibly leave.

Burnley should look to sell James Trafford over Aro Muric

As we wait to see how this potential deal plays out, here we have asked some of the writers at Football League World for their thoughts on Newcastle United being interested in James Trafford and if Burnley should look to sell the goalkeeper and if they did for how much.

Here is what they said…

Brett Worthington

Ideally, Burnley would like to come out of the upcoming summer transfer window with their squad still intact from this campaign.

However, that seems highly unlikely, given that the club has been relegated and teams from the Premier League and other top European leagues will be looking to prize away their best players, irrespective of their poor campaigjn as a team.

It looks as though James Trafford is already someone who has caught the attention of clubs, with Newcastle being particularly interested.

Trafford did play 28 times for the Clarets in the Premier League, but it wasn’t plain sailing for the goalkeeper, as he at times looked a little under-prepared for the level he was playing at.

So, when he lost his place to Muric, it wasn’t really much of a surprise. It is now a question of whether Vincent Kompany sees the ex-Man City man as his number one goalkeeper.

If he does, then Burnley are likely to dig their heels in and keep the England under-21 man, but if not, he could be allowed to go for the right price.

The Magpies obviously rate Trafford and see him as a suitable long-term successor for Nick Pope, but if he did join Newcastle, it is unlikely he will be playing a lot in the short term, so this will have to be factored into any potential move.

Burnley should possibly look to move Trafford on now, as he is still a highly rated player, and it would mean that the club would probably get a fair chunk of the money back 12 months after they signed him.

The Lancashire side should easily be looking for £15m-£20m for Trafford if he were to leave this summer, a price that seems fair, given how much they paid for him last summer and the potential career that he could still have.

Ben Wignall

There was plenty of surprise and intrigue around Trafford's move last summer considering he was plying his trade in League One in 2022-23, but after a strong showing at the U21's European Championship, the £19 million fee seemed like a shrewd investment for the next few years.

Unfortunately for Trafford though, his first Premier League season has been littered with mistakes and he has not dealt well at times with balls into the box, whilst his passing levels from the back aren't nearly as good as Aro Muric's.

There's an argument to be had that if Muric had been in-between the sticks earlier on in the season, then Burnley may still be a Premier League side, but they are two goalkeepers with their best years ahead of them - they just unfortunately have errors in their game.

It will be impossible for Vincent Kompany to keep the pair happy though going into next season as one player is going to consistently miss out, and if Newcastle's interest in Trafford is legitimate, then the Clarets should consider cashing in on the Englishman.

Muric has been there and done it by winning a Championship title and over their Premier League showings, whilst Trafford still has a bit more to learn, so if the Magpies come in with around the £19 million that was spent originally, then I'd be inclined to cash in and re-invest elsewhere on the pitch if I was chairman Alan Pace.