Newcastle United and Burnley have slightly different valuations of James Trafford.
The 21-year-old is a man in demand at the moment, with Newcastle United prioritising a move for the goalkeeper after he was not included in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad for the Euros.
The Magpies seem to have decided that the likes of Giorgi Mamardashvili and Aaron Ramsdale are too expensive, and are going for the cheaper option in James Trafford.
A £16million bid was reported at the weekend, while it was also claimed that personal terms have been agreed between the player and the club. Newcastle clearly want the deal to happen, and so does Trafford.
With personal terms agreed, it is merely up to the Magpies and Burnley agreeing a fee – and that is where something is going to have to give.
How much Burnley want for James Trafford this summer
Throughout Newcastle United‘s pursuit of Trafford, it has been reported that Burnley value him at £20million.
That would only give them a little bit of profit, having bought him from Manchester City for £19million last summer.
While it is a lot of money for a backup goalkeeper with just one year of Premier League experience, it is not a huge amount in the current financial climate. However, it is still more than Newcastle are looking to pay.
How much Newcastle United think James Trafford is worth
According to the Athletic, Newcastle United value Trafford between £15million and £18million.
They add that talks between the two clubs are ongoing, with Burnley needing to sell some players to raise funds following their relegation to the Championship.
So the two clubs slightly disagree over how much Trafford is worth, but they are not a million miles apart. That is certainly encouraging, and should lead to a compromise being reached.
Whether Newcastle pay over their valuation or Burnley lower their demands remains to be seen, but it does feel almost inevitable that Trafford, who Anthony Gordon thinks is ‘outstanding’, will be a Toon player next season.
For Newcastle, they will want to pay as little as possible, at a time when they are reportedly under pressure to sell due to PSR. On top of that, paying less will mean there is more money to spend elsewhere, as the Magpies look to stretch their summer transfer budget as far as possible.
Eddie Howe is looking to make four signings this summer, one of which is a goalkeeper. The marquee arrival looks likely to be a right winger, and a top bracket player might be able to arrive if Newcastle can save a bit of money when it comes to signing a goalkeeper.
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