Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford expected to join Newcastle United this summer | OneFootball

Sources have expressed extreme confidence this week that Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford will join Newcastle United this summer, according to the Daily Mail.

The 22-year-old had agreed to join the St. James Park club last August only for the deal to fall through, but the proposed move is now expected to be completed without any hitches when the next transfer window opens.

Trafford has continued to impress with the Championship club, with Clarets manager Scott Parker recently dubbing him a player with absolutely humongous potential, and Newcastle are still running the rule over him.

The Magpies have been attracted to the ball-playing attributes of the England youth international, and they see the quality as key to their long-term evolution.

Burnley are pushing for Premier League promotion and are currently third in the table after Trafford helped them to 11 consecutive clean sheets in recent league games, but a move to Newcastle is on the cards regardless of where the Clarets are next term.

Manchester City’s buy-back clause in the £19 million deal which took him to Turf Moor had been seen as a complicating factor as they included a fee in excess of £40m as an option to re-sign him.

However, that is not expected to be an issue, but it would take more than the £16m fee that was discussed between both clubs last summer to land him.

It remains to be seen whether Trafford will immediately establish himself as a starter if he completes a move to Newcastle ahead of next season after Martin Dubravka signed a new contract with the club today.

Nick Pope also remains an option for Magpies manager Eddie Howe, and while having three top goalies is a huge boost for the squad, keeping them happy for long could prove very tricky given their quality and experience.