Newcastle United’s move to sign James Trafford seems to be bubbling away in the background.
The 21-year-old has been identified as the goalkeeper who Newcastle United want to sign, after it was decided that Giorgi Mamardashvili would be too expensive.
The Magpies have decided to go for the cheaper approach and bring in a number two, rather than someone who will directly challenge Nick Pope for a place in the starting XI.
That is why James Trafford is now being prioritised, with Newcastle’s lack of European football forcing them to alter their transfer plans.
Newcastle eyeing James Trafford deal
Newcastle are planning to invest in potential instead, which is why they are moving for Trafford, despite his Premier League struggles.
He endured a poor year at Burnley that ended in relegation, yet could be rewarded with a move to a club with Champions League ambitions. Trafford is very much falling upwards if he arrives at Newcastle, but there is still work to be done before a deal is completed.
It has been reported that personal terms have been agreed and that Trafford is interested in the move, but there is still one more obstacle to overcome.
Newcastle must overcome Burnley obstacle
The main thing that appears to be standing in Newcastle and Trafford’s way is the price, with Burnley looking to receive £20million for the shot-stopper.
Newcastle initially offered £16million, but will need to increase their proposal, and change the way that is is structured.
That is according to journalist Ben Jacobs, who has told Give Me Sport that Burnley want Newcastle’s offer for Trafford to be less reliant on add-ons, and are looking for an overall package worth £20million.
James Trafford compromise will be found
That is slightly more than what Newcastle want to pay, with Toon officials valuing Trafford at around £18million.
From Newcastle’s perspective, it is understandable that they would want a lot of the fee to be made up of add-ons. That means they do not need to pay as much of the transfer fee up front, which will allow them to stretch their summer budget a bit further. That is vital, with PSR possibly proving to be an issue.
In contrast, Burnley want as much money up front as possible. They want the financial boost now, rather than having to wait for certain criteria to be met.
In the end, there will surely be a compromise. It would be a major surprise if this deal collapsed, given how far along it seems to be.
But it probably will not happen until July anyway, with Newcastle aiming to stay the right said of PSR. They have until June 30th to do just that, which is when the next set of clubs accounts must be submitted to the Premier League.
It has been reported that the Magpies are under pressure to sell before then, and that pressure would only intensify if Newcastle suddenly competed a deal to sign Trafford from Burnley – possibly for as much as £20million.
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