Newcastle United are in talks with Burnley for goalkeeper James Trafford, but the two clubs remain apart on their valuation of the player.
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 if James Trafford was set to join Newcastle United in 2024, with a reported fee of around £16m agreed. However, Newcastle were forced to pull out of the deal due to ongoing PSR concerns.
A year later, and a deal for the 22-year-old appears to be closer, but not yet complete. Reports earlier in the week stated that Newcastle and Burnley are in talks for Trafford, with Eddie Howe’s side valuing the player at around £30m.
However, Burnley are looking to get as much money as they can from the deal, and Manchester City also own a £40m buy-back clause for Trafford, so the Clarets are likely trying to get as close to that figure as possible.
After the shorter transfer window for teams competing in the Club World Cup closed, the two clubs will have to wait a few more days before anything can be agreed. Thankfully, Newcastle are not in a race against the clock to get the deal done and have plenty of time to negotiate.
While Trafford is still likely to join Newcastle, the club must look at alternatives if the deal ends up falling through. With that in mind, Geordie Boot Boys have put together a list of three goalkeepers the club should consider signing instead of Trafford.
Aaron Ramsdale
A player Newcastle have been linked with on several occasions, Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale will surely be looking for a move back to the Premier League this summer after suffering a humiliating relegation.
At just 27 years old, Ramsdale has experience of playing Champions League football with Arsenal and was named in the PFA’s Team of the Year for his efforts in the 2022/23 campaign.
An England international just like Trafford, Ramsdale has a relegation release clause of £25m at Southampton this summer, so a deal for him would cost much less than what Burnley want for their goalkeeper.
One of Ramsdale’s biggest strengths is his distribution, something current number one Nick Pope seems to struggle with tremendously.
Andriy Lunin
If Newcastle are searching for a goalkeeper who knows what it takes to win on the biggest of stages, then Real Madrid ace Andriy Lunin is exactly what they need.
The Ukrainian is the second choice to Thibaut Courtois at the Spanish Giants and has barely been given a game all season, but he has a brilliant opportunity to stake his claim and be the top option on Tyneside.
Lunin was linked with a move to Newcastle in 2023 after Pope suffered a shoulder injury that kept him on the sidelines for months. A move never came to fruition and Lunin won his second Champions League with Real a year later.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Lunin made 7 appearances for Real, keeping four clean sheets. A recent report from Defensa Central stated that he will be available for just £25m this summer.
Walter Benitez
A slightly older choice in comparison to the others, but Walter Benitez will undoubtedly be the cheapest option of the three.
After three years at PSV Eindhoven, Benitez is set to leave the Eredivisie side on a free transfer. The 32-year-old is leaving off the back of a title-winning season, in which he played in every game.
Like Lunin and Ramsdale, Benitez has a lot of experience playing Champions League football, as recent as this season, where he helped the Dutch side reach the round of 16 of the competition and beat Lloyd Kelly’s Juventus in the play-off round.
However, if Newcastle are to do a deal for the shot stopper, it must be done quickly. The Athletic have reported that Crystal Palace are in talks for Benitez, but they still have time to steal a march.
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