Newcastle United were dealt an almighty blow in the transfer window as long-term target James Trafford was subject to talks from Manchester City.
At one point, reporters were saying the deal was as good as done, and others were claiming it would just be a case of a few days before an announcement would be made. However, that now appears to be far from the case.
Newcastle United have been interested in James Trafford for over a year, but Burnley have dug their heels in over the last couple of months and are sticking firm with their asking price of £40million.
Trafford was spotted training on his own this week, causing some to believe a deal is close. It now looks as if the deal is on the verge of collapse, despite personal terms being agreed.
Manchester City are trying to sign Trafford, with Pep Guardiola’s side owning a buy-back clause equal to Burnley’s asking price.
With Newcastle appearing to miss out on another top target, Craig Hope has stated what Eddie Howe really thinks of his current goalkeeping situation.
Newcastle United ‘comfortable’ with their goalkeeper situation after James Trafford blow
The deal is not completely dead yet, but initial feelings are that talks have gone sour over the last couple of weeks.
It remains to be seen whether Newcastle will look to sign an alternative or if they will opt to keep their current crop of shot-stoppers.
According to Craig Hope, Newcastle are now prepared to move on from Trafford after failing to reach an agreement with Burnley. Hope also surprisingly states that Newcastle are comfortable with their current goalkeeper situation, and they may not look to sign anyone else if the deal completely collapses.
Man City’s interest is a complication, but Hope claims that it has always been lingering in the background while talks have taken place.
It looks like Nick Pope will be Newcastle’s first-choice goalkeeper next season after all.
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Despite a number of players entering the final years of their contracts in 2025, only two senior players left upon their expiry. The likes of Dan Burn, Fabian Schar and Emil Krafth were handed new deals to reflect their roles in the squad.
Another player who was handed a new deal was John Ruddy, despite the 38-year-old failing to make a competitive appearance for the Magpies last season. Newcastle signed Ruddy to set an example in training, but with Norwich City interested, it looked like he would opt against a new deal on Tyneside.
However, Ruddy agreed a new contract to keep Newcastle’s goalkeeper tally high.
Reports suggested Ruddy signed a new deal to act as a mentor for Trafford, with the younger shot-stopper learning from the experienced player. Sadly, those plans are now set to be thrown out of the window due to Burnley standing firm on their asking price.
With Trafford’s ceiling very high, Newcastle fans will surely be left wondering what could have been if the deal is well and truly dead.
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