Newcastle United are being linked with signing James Trafford from Burnley, and one man who would definitely approve of a deal is Anthony Gordon.
The Magpies are set to be in the market for a goalkeeper, with Loris Karius due to leave this summer when his contract expires. He could also be followed out the door by Martin Dubravka, who may be sold after a disappointing spell in the Newcastle United XI.
That would leave Eddie Howe with just two goalkeepers – Nick Pope and Mark Gillespie. The former has a history of injuries, while the latter has not played a competitive game for the Magpies since September 2020.
Therefore, Newcastle are exploring their options. Aaron Ramsdale is on the Magpies’ list of targets, although the club are slightly concerned about giving Arsenal a financial boost amid their interest in Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak.
Giorgi Mamardashvili is also on Newcastle’s radar, but that deal might be in doubt after the Magpies missed out on European qualification.
Newcastle linked with signing James Trafford
That could force Eddie Howe to look elsewhere, which is why James Trafford’s name has also been mentioned.
According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are interested in signing Trafford from Burnley this summer.
They report that he would act as backup to Nick Pope, and could be available for £20million – with some of that fee including future incentives.
What Anthony Gordon said about James Trafford last summer
It sounds like Trafford would be a cheaper alternative to Ramsdale and Mamardashvili, while he will likely come highly recommended by current Toon superstar Anthony Gordon.
The pair played together for England at last summer’s Under-21 European Championship, which the Three Lions actually won.
That was largely down to the efforts of Gordon, who won player of the tournament. But it was also down to Trafford, who saved a stoppage time penalty in the final to ensure England came out on top.
It led to wild celebrations, and Gordon could not speak highly enough of the 21-year-old stopper after the game.
“I fully trust him to save anything at this point,” he said.
“He’s been outstanding all tournament. He possibly could have won player of the tournament being a goalkeeper, which is incredible. Didn’t concede a goal all tournament.”
Trafford could be a decent understudy to Nick Pope
Gordon was blown away by how Trafford played for the England Under-21s last summer. One year later and there is a chance they could become club teammates.
Out of the three goalkeepers linked, he is probably the least appealing. He was not great for Burnley this season, while Ramsdale and Mamardashvili are already at a much higher level.
But if the goal is to bring in a Pope backup, Trafford might be the Magpies’ best option. It would allow Pope to continue being first choice, whilst coaching Trafford to eventually take his place. That would have to be the end goal with Trafford, and he is certainly a highly rated player with a lot of potential – even if his first taste of Premier League football did not go to plan.
With a bit of Eddie Howe magic, he could go on to become Newcastle’s number one when the time comes. And if that were to become a reality, Trafford would certainly have the support of Anthony Gordon.
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