Newcastle United's transfer determination as Burnley stand firm over James Trafford

Newcastle United are determined to land Burnley stopper James Trafford this summer, despite the Clarets standing firm over the young goalkeeper.

Trafford, 21, is said to have agreed personal terms with Newcastle but the two clubs have not yet agreed a price. The Magpies saw their initial £16m bid rejected over the weekend, with Burnley holding out for north of £20m.

The young shot-stopper is seen as an exciting talent for the future and should he arrive on Tyneside would provide crucial competition to Nick Pope. The move would also mean Newcastle do not have to break the bank to secure Aaron Ramsdale or Giorgi Mamaradashvili.

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Burnley's relegation from the Premier League puts pressure on the north west outfit to sell, with Trafford expected to join Zeki Amdouni, Wout Weghorst and Sander Berge in leaving the club. However, the manager-less, second-tier outfit are refusing to roll over and offload their best players on the cheap.

Trafford's arrival will likely split opinion among the St James' Park faithful given he was dropped by former manager Vincent Kompany midway through the ill-fated Premier League campaign.

“It’s one of the positions where I have the luxury of having two good players, so at any given time I can make a decision that I think is best for the team," Kompany explained back in March. “It’s not a big decision, it’s not a difficult decision, it’s just two good players fighting it out and I won’t shy away from having that luxury in as many positions as I can.”

Trafford enjoys a close relationship with Anthony Gordon after the duo won the under-21 European Championships in 2023, with the goalkeeper going the entire tournament without conceding.