Newcastle given hope in James Trafford pursuit - Sky Sports

Newcastle United are expected to try once again to sign James Trafford this summer and are hoping to make it third time lucky.

This will be the third summer transfer window in a row that Newcastle try to sign the young England goalkeeper.

Two years ago, the Magpies had to pull out of a move due to financial restrictions and the unexpected arrival of Odysseas Vlachodimos, and last year, just as things were looking nailed on, Manchester City came out of the shadows and lured him back to the Etihad.

This season, Trafford was expecting to be first-choice under Pep Guardiola, but the arrival of Gianluigi Donarumma put paid to that notion, and Trafford has been considering a move ever since. With Enzo Maresca now in charge, Trafford is waiting to hear the Italian's plan before making a decision.

Spurs are no longer interested in James Trafford

Newcastle were thought to be ready to try again to land the 23-year-old, who is currently with England at the World Cup, but there was expected to be some competition.

Perhaps the biggest threat was from Tottenham Hotspur, who are throwing money around like it's going out of fashion this summer. Spurs are about to pay Newcastle almost £100 million for Sandro Tonali after having already forked out over £50 million for Jan Paul Van Hecke and £85m on Mateus Fernandes.

According to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge on X, Spurs have opted against making a move for Trafford. 

"Very busy few days for Spurs & more to come. However, understand James Trafford is not a Tottenham target. #THFC"

Trafford keeps flirting with Newcastle

That doesn't guarantee Newcastle a clear run at Trafford by any means, but it does remove a huge obstacle. With Roberto De Zerbi at the helm and all of this money being spent, we could see how Spurs would look appealing right now.

Trafford had been keen on joining Newcastle in each of the last two windows. There's definitely an interest there, but whether Newcastle can actually get a deal done remains to be seen.

Thankfully, this time, should Newcastle fail, there are alternatives that could be equally as good. Bart Verbruggen of Brighton could be on the move, and Newcastle also has an eye on Robin Risser of Lens.

My personal preference is Trafford, but that's not shared throughout Blog Towers.