Man City transfer news: Newcastle United set to come hard for this €29.5m player
Man City transfer news: City keeper sparks multi-club race
Man City transfer news: The transfer market does this. One phone call in Birmingham changes everything for a lad sitting in a hotel room on England duty, and suddenly the dominoes start falling.
Aston Villa have slammed the door shut. Word from the Midlands, via ChronicleLive, is that Unai Emery has zero intention of letting Emiliano Martínez go anywhere, rejecting any bids out of hand. That instantly kills Aston Villa’s interest in James Trafford. Good news for Newcastle United. Brilliant news, actually. Eddie Howe now has a clear run at the 23-year-old Manchester City backup goalkeeper, a player he has tracked for a long time.
It is a massive window of opportunity for the Magpies. Trafford wants out of the Etihad Stadium, and you can’t blame him. He needs proper, regular football. City triggered a buy-back clause to bring him home last year, but then Gianluigi Donnarumma arrived and essentially glued the young Englishman to the bench. Seventeen appearances across all competitions is all Trafford managed. He still showed what he can do, starting the EFL Cup final and helping Pep Guardiola’s side pick up both domestic cups. He got four Premier League games too, pulling off 14 saves and keeping a clean sheet while letting in six. Now, he wants a number one shirt.
Chelsea lurk as Newcastle prepare bid
St James’ Park looks the likely destination, with Newcastle structuring a formal proposal around his €29.5 million valuation. But they can’t afford to dither.
Chelsea are still watching. Enzo Maresca is keeping close tabs on the situation from Stamford Bridge and could easily throw a spanner in the works with a late bid. Everyone knows Chelsea love hoarding young talent, and Trafford is a good option.
Right now, the player is keeping his head down on international duty. Nothing gets signed until the tournament ends. Expect some haggling over the final price tag, but Newcastle want this sorted before pre-season training camps get too busy.
Rohit Sarkar
