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Newcastle United submitted an opening bid in the region of £15-£16m over the weekend for James Trafford; the Burnley goalkeeper who has been met with a mixed reaction from Toon fans online.
He’s a highly-rated young goalkeeper who comes from Man City’s academy and almost made England’s final squad for Euro 2024, but he’s also come off the back of a tough season with Burnley, where he had a few shaky moments and lost his place over the final 10 games of 2023/24.
I can see why some are slightly underwhelmed after strong links with Giorgi Mamardashvili – one of the best shot-stoppers in La Liga – but it’s worth remembering that Trafford (21) would be signed as a long-term replacement for Nick Pope; who’s still a VERY capable Premier League goalkeeper.
I do believe that Newcastle must target proven quality across many areas of the squad and can’t always just invest for the future, but Trafford would be signed to help future proof the squad, much like Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall).
Trafford will very quickly (if not already) be an upgrade on Martin Dubravka; a 35-year-old who struggled over the second half of the 2023/24 season. We need more options with Dubravka likely to leave and Karius already released. Trafford will also cost half as much as Mamardashvili. Now we missed out on Tosin Adarabioyo, who joined Chelsea on a free instead, we’ll have to be careful with our money to ensure we have plenty available to spend on other priority positions (CB, RW, ST).
As for concerns over Trafford’s current ability, we can use Anthony Gordon as a good example. Gordon had just three goal involvements for Everton over 2022/23 before Newcastle signed him in January for £40m rising to £45m. He was 21 at the time – the same age as James Trafford now – and his signing was met with a lot of skepticism, but we saw his potential and look at him now. He’s improved under Eddie Howe, reached double figures for goals and assists and is now in the…
Source link : https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2024/06/10/james-trafford-concerns-why-newcastles-summer-move-may-be-smarter-than-you-think/
Author : Olly Hawkins
Publish date : 2024-06-10 15:19:00
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