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The prospect of James Trafford joining Newcastle from Manchester City in the summer heightened on Monday when Eddie Howe spoke admiringly of the goalkeeper and Pep Guardiola left open the prospect of a move.
Trafford chose City ahead of Newcastle when he left Burnley in July, expecting to become the first choice at the Etihad Stadium. Since the deadline-day arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma, however, he has played in only four domestic cup ties and one Champions League match.
The 23-year-old Trafford will start the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Newcastle on Tuesday and Howe gave the impression that he had not closed the door on the idea of Trafford relocating to Tyneside. The Newcastle manager, who pursued Trafford for two years, is often circumspect when asked about players not in his squad but he said: “James Trafford is a very good goalkeeper. I’m a big fan of his and I wish him all the best in his career.”
Guardiola suggested that Trafford could leave. “We want him and what’s going to happen at the end of the season we will see,” he said. “I would like him to stay for many years here because he has the attributes to play in a big club like us.”
Trafford returned to City for a second spell in a £31m deal. The club matched Newcastle’s bid for him, though the net fee was £27m owing to a sell-on clause in the deal that took him to Turf Moor in summer 2023.
Guardiola was asked how Trafford had responded to Donnarumma usurping him. The City manager said: “There’s no complaints. James is a top keeper. The situation of the keeper is completely special, right? One plays or the other one. It’s not like some positions, you can play in different ones. But we count on him.”
Howe is prioritising cup competitions as his injury-hit side competes on four fronts. The Carabao Cup holders progressed in the FA Cup by defeating Bournemouth and resume their Champions League campaign next Wednesday. “The cups are very important to us because the Premier League is incredibly tough to win and we’re not in that position currently,” Howe said.
“So we have to look at what else we can win. We will know how important winning the Carabao Cup was to us last year and the feeling it gave everybody at the club. Now we are looking for the same feeling again and we have to try to take every opportunity to achieve it.”
Antoine Semenyo, City’s new £62.5m signing, is able to face Newcastle even though he played for Bournemouth in the competition, under an EFL rule change introduced before this season. “It was nice to find out that rule had changed after finding out they’d signed him,” Howe said. “I have to say that’s one rule change I probably wouldn’t be supportive of at this moment.”
The centre-back Sven Botman, meanwhile, has signed a contract extension with Newcastle until 2030.
