'Completed' - Sky Sports confirm medical for James Trafford replacement as Newcastle United make £40m move
Burnley are set to sign a player tipped to replace James Trafford as talks with Newcastle United gather momentum.
Newcastle’s chances of signing Trafford from Burnley have been given a boost as The Clarets look set to confirm the arrival of a new goalkeeper.
According to Sky Germany, Burnley have agreed a £4.2million deal to sign 21-year-old Karlsruher SC goalkeeper Max Weiss on a four-year contract.
Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg added on Tuesday that Weiss has completed his medical at Burnley and has the potential to become the club’s ‘long-term number one’.
The German transfer expert tweeted: “Max #Weiß has successfully completed his medical at Burnley. Announcement coming soon.
“Transfer fee: €5 million all-in. Contract until 2029. Burnley were impressed by his fitness after his holiday. The talented 21 y/o goalkeeper has the potential to become their long-term number one. Exclusive news, set to be confirmed soon. @SkySportDE.”
Given that Weiss is a similar age to Trafford, claims that he could be the club’s long-term number one add fuel to the suggestion that he has been signed as Trafford’s long-term replacement.
Newcastle United set to make James Trafford move
Now Burnley have a new goalkeeper lined up, it could pave the way for Trafford to leave.
Newcastle are in talks over a potential deal with Trafford, who is valued at around £40million by Burnley, which would make him the fifth most expensive goalkeeper of all time.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed the transfer ‘can happen’ next month with talks set to accelerate next week.
“Negotiations between Newcastle and Burnley for James Trafford are underway,” Romano tweeted. “Club to club talks continue as the deal can happen from July, so expected to accelerate from next week.”
Romano has also claimed that the personal terms Trafford agreed to at Newcastle last summer are still ‘valid’ this transfer window.
He tweeted: “Newcastle agreed personal terms with James Trafford since summer 2024 and the verbal pact is still valid. He’s still top of the list as new GK for Newcastle next season.”
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James Trafford ‘really wanted’ NUFC transfer
Without naming Newcastle explicitly, Trafford recently spoke about really wanting a move to happen last summer.
Speaking to former goalkeeper Ben Foster on Fozcast, Trafford admitted: “In the summer [2024], I wanted to move because the club I was close to going to was a good fit for me at the time.
“It was brilliant for me, I really believed in it and I really wanted the move. Not because I didn't want to play in the Championship, I had no shame or no ego to be like 'I'm better than Championship,' you only prove you're better than something by performing and showing people.
“It was just when the opportunity and a situation you believe suits you can happen, you should take it and you should go for it.
“So I wanted to move and it was close but it didn't end up happening. The manager [Scott Parker] was brilliant with me throughout in pre-season because I was obviously moody because I wanted to move.”
Despite his disappointment at the transfer falling through, Trafford displayed his professionalism by earning his place back in the Burnley side for the opening game of the 2024-25 season and hasn’t looked back since.
The goalkeeper kept 29 clean sheets in 45 Championship matches last season to help Burnley earn promotion back to the Premier League. He has also become a regular feature in the England senior set-up ahead of Newcastle’s Nick Pope, though he is yet to make his senior debut.
If Newcastle agree a deal for Trafford, the 22-year-old is set to initially compete with Pope with the view to becoming his long-term replacement in the side.