Newcastle make £16m bid for England ace, Man Utd fail with £51m offer as Leicester aim to hire ex-Chelsea boss

Newcastle United are in talks to sign England goalkeeper James Trafford this summer as Eddie Howe looks to strengthen his goalkeeping options.

Mail Sport claims that the Magpies have made an opening £16m bid for the Burnley shot-stopper, who was recently withdrawn from Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man England squad.

At 21 years of age, Trafford is regarded as one of the country's best young goalkeepers and someone with the potential to be a huge talent in years to come. 

The former Manchester City academy graduate impressed during loan spells at Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers as a teenager, but it was his performances during the U21 European Championships last summer which really put his name on the map. 

During the tournament, Trafford kept six consecutive clean sheets for a triumphant England team, while also notably saving a last minute penalty in the final. This made Trafford the first goalkeeper in history to go a whole tournament without conceding and secured England their first piece of silverware at U21 level since 1984.

Trafford’s performances earned him a move to Burnley last summer, but he struggled at times during his debut campaign with the Clarets as they were relegated in 19th position whilst conceding 78 times in 38 games.

Despite Burnley’s relegation, Trafford is expected to have a huge future in the game and could provide competition to first choice Magpies shot-stopper Nick Pope. As it stands, talks over a transfer are believed to be ongoing, with Burnley holding out for a fee of at least £20m for the youngster.

Man Utd fail with opening £51m offer for midfield starlet

Manchester United are pushing hard to sign one of Europe's brightest young prospects in Benfica’s Joao Neves.

The 19-year-old was a standout performer for the Lisbon based side this season and has been lauded for his composure on the ball, passing skills, stamina and ability to come out on top in physical duels.

Neves is already a regular for the Portuguese national team with six caps and is tipped to be a key player for Roberto Martinez’s side at Euro 2024.

Manchester United are determined to sign him and have already had a £51m bid turned down for the teenager. However, Portuguese outlet A Bola claims that the Red Devils are undeterred by this and will return to the table with a new and improved offer in the coming weeks.

Leicester City aim to hire ex-Chelsea boss

Newly promoted Leicester City are on the hunt for a new manager after Enzo Maresca’s departure to Chelsea.

Reports from The Telegraph claim that the Championship winners have made contact with former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter as they aim to establish themselves back in the top-flight.

Potter is regarded as one of the best British managers, having enjoyed success at both Swansea City and Brighton. The 49-year-old has been out of work since April 2023 having reportedly turned down offers from the likes of Ajax and Lyon in recent times.