Newcastle United green light summer transfer exit after personal terms agreed with 'world-class' star

Newcastle United are looking to strike an agreement with Burnley to sign goalkeeper James Trafford after having a £27million bid turned down last week.

The Magpies are confident they can secure a deal for the 22-year-old, who has already agreed personal terms to make the switch to St James’ Park.

Newcastle tried and failed to sign Trafford last summer after offering around £20million for the goalkeeper. A Championship promotion and 29 clean sheets in 45 games later, Trafford’s value has increased significantly.

Newcastle United closing in on agreement to sign James Trafford

Burnley understandably value Trafford highly and would look for at least £30million upfront for the former England Under-21s international, rising to £40million with add-ons.

Newcastle view Trafford as a potential long-term successor to Nick Pope as first-choice goalkeeper. The Burnley shot-stopper has also been described by his manager Scott Parker as ‘world-class’ and tipped to become the future England No. 1.

Trafford has been in and around the England senior squad for the past year but is still waiting to earn his first cap.

In order to sign Trafford, Newcastle will have to break the transfer record for an English goalkeeper, which stands at £30million paid by Everton to Sunderland for Jordan Pickford back in 2017.

Given the finances involved in the deal, Newcastle plan on embedding Trafford into the first-team set-up in pre-season.

The Magpies already have four senior goalkeepers contracted for the 2025/26 season, so what impact could Trafford’s arrival have on the club’s goalkeeping department?

Nick Pope

Pope is Newcastle’s first-choice goalkeeper as things stand, but has just a year left on his current deal at the club. The 33-year-old has been Eddie Howe’s first-choice goalkeeper since his arrival from Burnley in 2022 but has suffered with injuries over the past couple of seasons which has handed Martin Dubravka an opportunity back in the starting line-up.

Newcastle want to sign Trafford to compete with Pope for the starting goalkeeper spot initially, rather than replace him in the side straight away. Pre-season will play an important role in that should the deal get done sooner rather than later.

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Martin Dubravka

Trafford’s arrival would effectively give Dubravka license to leave Newcastle this summer, despite the goalkeeper only recently agreeing a new contract at St James’ Park in February.

The new deal came after intense interest from Saudi Pro League club Al-Shabab, with a deal lined up in January but Newcastle blocked it due to Pope’s injury at the time. Dubravka played a key role in Newcastle’s turnaround midway through the 2024/25 season, helping the club start a Champions League qualification charge and reach the Carabao Cup final, which they ultimately won with Pope in goal.

The 36-year-old will be looking to secure some regular first-team football after a period of uncertainty surrounding his future at Newcastle over the past few seasons.

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Odysseas Vlachodimos

Vlachodimos is Newcastle’s record goalkeeper signing having arrived from Nottingham Forest for £20million a year ago. The deal was done as part of a PSR-influenced agreement with Forest that saw Elliot Anderson move in the opposite direction for £35million.

And Trafford’s potential arrival will break that record and put the Greek international further down the pecking order.

Vlachodimos’ first season at Newcastle saw him limited to just 45 minutes of competitive action in the Carabao Cup following an injury to Dubravka.

Vlachodimos is not part of Howe’s first-team plans heading into the new season but given the goalkeeper’s limited sell-on value compared to the transfer fee paid only last summer, a loan exit would be the most likely outcome for the 31-year-old.

Mark Gillespie

Newcastle confirmed another year for Mark Gillespie when the club’s retained list was published last month. Trafford’s arrival will not massively impact his role at the club, which is limited to being a training ground goalkeeper.

Five years after joining Newcastle, Gillespie has made just three competitive appearances but has been regularly praised for his influence behind the scenes and on the training ground.

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