As the richest club in the world, Newcastle United could be set to spend big once again this summer. According to Ben Jacobs, speaking on Fulham Fan News, their first signing of the summer is getting closer to being announced. James Trafford is nearing a move to Newcastle in a deal that could be worth £20 million.
Newcastle transfer news: James Trafford close to joining Newcastle
Jacobs spoke about Trafford, claiming that he’s close to joining Newcastle. “There’s opportunism not just because Burnley have gone down but because they have lost their manager – Vincent Kompany,” Jacobs said. “There would be a lot of interest there in moving to Fulham (for Jacob Bruun Larsen). The only downside there is that according to my information James Trafford to Newcastle is getting quite close to being done. Burnley are pushing for a fee of £20 million, and Burnley will be in a stronger position in the market.”
This is quite an expensive deal for a player who likely won’t start for Newcastle next season. Nick Pope is due back from his injury soon, and it’s expected that Pope will re-assume his role as Newcastle’s number one goalkeeper immediately.
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Of course, having a good backup goalkeeper is important, but spending £20 million on such a player when you’re up against profit and sustainability rules seems illogical. Newcastle’s accountants will know more about their spending power this summer, and perhaps this move for Trafford will just be a drop in the ocean.
However, from the outside looking in, this deal does appear to be unnecessarily expensive in a position that isn’t too much of a problem for Eddie Howe’s side. Pope has been a reliable goalkeeper for Newcastle, and unless there are concerns about his long-term fitness, spending big on a backup might not be the best use of funds.
Trafford looks set to join Newcastle shortly, and it will be interesting to see how the dynamic between the new man and Pope works next season. If Trafford can push Pope for the starting spot, it could raise the level of performance in training and matches. On the other hand, if Trafford is solely a backup, it’s an expensive insurance policy for the Magpies.