Newcastle United will soon forget about James Trafford as ‘excellent’ target has just become available

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Newcastle United were dealt a bitter blow on Friday when it was revealed that Manchester City are looking to steal in and sign James Trafford from Burnley.

It is a bitter pill to swallow after reports suggested the deal was very close to completion.

The England international has been a top target between the sticks for over a year now, but the Magpies cannot seem to get a deal done.

It looked as though James Trafford was set to sign for Newcastle United in 2024, with a reported fee of around £16m agreed. Sadly, Newcastle pulled out of the deal due to their PSR problems.

12 months on, and the deal has still not been able to get over the line. Newcastle are way off it in their valuation for Trafford, with Burnley wanting upwards of £40million for the England international.

Additionally, Manchester City have begun talks for Trafford in a deal which would see the 22-year-old return to his former club. The deal is not completely dead, but Newcastle are prepared to move on to other things.

With Trafford to Newcastle now looking very unlikely, we look at the one player the Magpies should look to sign between the sticks.

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Newcastle United must make a deal for Lucas Chevalier after losing James Trafford race

With Nick Pope aged 33, and Martin Dubravka aged 36, it is clear Newcastle will need to sign a young goalkeeper this summer to get their succession planning underway in that position. Work is being done in other positions to prepare for the older players making way, with Newcastle also looking to sign a young centre-back to replace Fabian Schar and Dan Burn.

With a young goalkeeper in mind, Newcastle must consider bringing in 23-year-old LOSC Lille star Lucas Chevalier. The French star won Ligue 1’s goalkeeper of the season award after a sensational campaign, keeping 11 clean sheets, a number only Brice Samba could better in France.

Newcastle were linked with Chevalier earlier this year, but it looks like Howe and his recruitment team favoured a move for Trafford.

With Newcastle now looking to move on from Trafford, they have a perfect alternative in Chevalier, although his price tag is around £40m. Chevalier, who was referred to as ‘excellent’ by Jacek Kulig, is also linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, but with Gianluigi Donnarumma still at the French giants he may not be keen on signing for them.

Lucas Chevalier’s statistics compared to James Trafford

Burnley think Trafford will be England’s future No.1, which makes it clearer why Newcastle were so desperate to sign him. Unfortunately, it looks like the 22-year-old will not become a Newcastle player this summer, so alternatives must be explored.

Chevalier has been in Newcastle’s thinking for some time, even though Trafford was the top target on Tyneside.

While Trafford benefits statistically, Chevalier has already gained experience playing European football for a top team in France.

Chevalier was also named in Ligue 1’s Team of the Year last season, reflecting how highly he is valued in France. Though he is valued around the same as Trafford, Chevalier could be a better alternative for the Magpies this summer.