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Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwayAn extremely busy transfer window is forecast at Newcastle United, even if it has been very quiet so far.
Two seasons ago, when they first qualified for the Champions League under Eddie Howe, the Magpies really struggled to balance both domestic and continental commitments, finishing bottom of an admittedly nightmare group, while also failing to qualify for Europe again via the Premier League.
A year on, now back in UEFA's top-tier tournament, Howe will require reinforcements, needing a bigger squad to compete on multiple fronts, so could some new signings arrive on Tyneside this week?
Newcastle's search for signings
As has been widely reported, Newcastle look poised sign Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for £55m, confident a deal will be finalised soon.
Meantime, the Magpies are interested in signing Atalanta centre-back Giorgio Scalvini, who has been described as 'their top target', with the 21-year-old valued at £30m by la Dea.
On top of all this, a report by Dominic Scurr of the Shields Gazette now states that Newcastle are "very close" to agreeing a deal with Burnley to sign goalkeeper James Trafford.
They add that a disagreement over a fee has led to 'some complications', but considering the player is 'very keen' to move to Tyneside, a deal is expected to be finalised, costing around £30m, making Trafford the most-expensive English goalkeeper of all time.
James Trafford* |
2025 |
Burnley |
Newcastle |
£30m |
Aaron Ramsdale |
2021 |
Sheffield United |
Arsenal |
£28m |
Jordan Pickford |
2017 |
Sunderland |
Everton |
£25m |
Aaron Ramsdale |
2024 |
Arsenal |
Southampton |
£25m |
Dean Henderson |
2023 |
Manchester United |
Crystal Palace |
£20m |
Aaron Ramsdale |
2020 |
Bournemouth |
Sheffield United |
£18.5m |
James Trafford |
2023 |
Manchester City |
Burnley |
£15m |
Fraser Forster |
2014 |
Celtic |
Southampton |
£10m |
Sam Johnstone |
2024 |
Crystal Palace |
Wolves |
£10m |
Nick Pope |
2022 |
Burnley |
Newcastle |
£10m |
*subject to being finalised. |
||||
Given the outlay, Trafford is surely moving to Newcastle to be number one, usurping another former Burnley man Nick Pope in the pecking order, while the Magpies are certainly well stocked when it comes to goalkeepers, considering Martin Dúbravka, Odysseas Vlachodimos, John Ruddy and Mark Gillespie are all already on their books.
How James Trafford will improve Newcastle
The 22-year-old is certainly a highly-rated player, with his current manager Scott Parker describing Trafford as "a world-class goalkeeper", following the Clarets' 2-1 victory at Vicarage Road against Watford in April.
Meantime, Andy Jones of the Athletic labels him a 'near-impenetrable brick wall', praising his ability to 'anticipate danger and neutralise threats', while noting that 'Trafford has high ambitions', namely aiming to become England's number one.
Mark Carey of the Athletic described his performances for Burnley in the EFL Championship last season as 'insane', so let's assess if the statistics support this assertion.
Goals against |
16 |
1st* |
Shots on target faced |
103 |
20th |
Saves |
85 |
15th |
Save % |
84.5% |
1st |
Clean sheets |
29 |
1st |
Clean sheet % |
64.4% |
1st |
% of penalties saved |
100.0% |
1st |
Post-shot xG - goals conceded |
+11.8 |
2nd |
Pass completion % |
73.3% |
6th** |
*minimum 1,000 minutes played. **amongst goalkeepers |
||
As the table outlines, Trafford was certainly the most impressive goalkeeper in the Championship last season, with his tally of 29 clean sheets the most any side have enjoyed in a single Football League season ever, surpassing the previous record set by Port Vale in 1953/54.
So why will he be such an exciting addition for Newcastle and for potential, future teammate Scalvini?
Well, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels the Italian "one of the most talented" centre-backs aged 21 or under in Europe, while Akhilesh Ashok of Total Football Analysis praises Scalvini's 'on-ball ability' as well as his prowess at winning 'physical battles', making him the perfect 'modern-day central defender'.
In possession, Trafford is a clear upgrade on the man he is replacing Pope, while Scalvini can help alleviate the young goalkeeper's weaknesses, namely that he can be bullied at set-pieces and when it comes to high claims, hence why the duo could form a formidable defensive partnership.

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