Chelsea are planning to raid Championship side Burnley for highly-rated goalkeeper James Trafford.
James Trafford, 21, arrived at Burnley from Manchester City for an initial £15million, with his solid displays for England under-21s in their European Championships helping earn that move. His critical penalty save in the dying seconds of the final against Spain helped England under-21s lift the trophy without conceding a goal throughout the tournament.
Despite a rocky start to his Premier League career at Turf Moor that ended up in him getting dropped by manager Vincent Kompany and Burnley getting relegated at the end of the season, Chelsea reportedly view the Englishman as a long-term No.1. He started 28 of the 38 league fixtures but was dropped for the last 10 for Arijanet Muric as Vincent Kompany’s side battled to avoid the drop.
The Blues are looking to provide Trafford with an immediate route back to the Premier League following Burnley’s relegation by making a £ 20 million bid. Newcastle United have also been linked with the goalkeeper in the preliminary 33-man England squad for Euro 2024. However, it is understood that Chelsea is currently one of the favourites for his services.
Chelsea in the market for a new goalkeeper
Chelsea are currently hunting for a new manager after sacking Mauricio Pochettino last week. Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Pochettino after guiding the Foxes to automatic promotion as Championship title winners at the first time of asking.
Maresca, who has a £10million release clause in his contract, moved to Leicester City from being a part of Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Manchester City last summer. The Italian boss knows James Trafford from his Man City days, and should he become the Blues’ next manager, he could push for the goalkeeper’s signing. Trafford could be linking up with his ex-teammate Cole Palmer at Chelsea, after the duo rose through the ranks at Man City before leaving for pastures new.
Robert Sanchez failed to replicate the form he had shown at Brighton and Hove Albion before moving to Stamford Bridge last year. While Djordje Petrovic deputised well in Sanchez’s injury absence, the Blues want a reliable No.1 and have set their sights on Trafford. The 21-year-old only signed for Burnley from Man City last year but may be open to a move back to the Premier League, particularly if it enhances his prospects of international selection with England.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
