Newcastle United in Talks to Sign James Trafford for £40m

Newcastle United attempted to sign James Trafford last summer but saw two bids rejected by Burnley, despite the goalkeeper agreeing to make the switch to St James' Park. A year on, Burnley are in a stronger negotiating position after earning promotion back to the Premier League, with Trafford keeping 29 Championship clean sheets in the process. The 22-year-old's value has doubled in the past 12 months, with Burnley now valuing him at around £40million.

Key Takeaways:

• Newcastle United are in talks to agree a deal with Burnley for James Trafford, with negotiations set to accelerate next week.
• The personal terms Trafford agreed to at Newcastle last summer are still 'valid' this transfer window.
• Trafford has expressed his desire to play at the top of the Premier League, and believes that his current experience in the Championship has prepared him for a move to the Premier League.
• Burnley have lined up a move to sign 21-year-old Karlsruher SC goalkeeper Max Weiss on a four-year deal, potentially as Trafford's long-term replacement at Turf Moor.
• Trafford recently spoke about really wanting a transfer to happen last summer, citing his desire to play in the Premier League.

Statistics:

• Burnley have earned promotion back to the Premier League after keeping 29 Championship clean sheets in the process.
• James Trafford's value has doubled in the past 12 months, with Burnley now valuing him at around £40million.
• This would make Trafford the fifth most expensive goalkeeper of all time, and Newcastle's deal would likely be one of the biggest signings in the club's history.

Sources:

• Fabrizio Romano (/topic/fabrizio-romano)
• The Gazette (/https://www.shieldsgazette.com/)
• Sky Germany (/https://www.shieldsgazette.com/topic/sky-germany)