Manchester United considering move to sign Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford

Manchester United are eyeing a move for Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, as head coach Ruben Amorim looks to move on current No.1 Andre Onana in the summer.

Andre Onana endured a dismal outing against Lyon in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday. He made two costly mistakes that led to goals, just days after a war of words with former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic, who labelled him ‘one of the worst goalkeepers’ in the club’s history.

The Cameroon glovesman’s display in France not only failed to back up his war or words with Matic but also potentially put his position in the first XI under Ruben Amorim under risk. And after a series of underwhelming displays, the Portuguese tactician is planning to drop Onana from the side against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday.

Furthermore, Man United have serious concerns over whether Onana is the right goalkeeper in the long term. As a result, they are reportedly targeting a move for Burnley’s James Trafford.

James Trafford wanted by the Red Devils

Trafford has gone on to have a superb season in the Championship, conceding just 13 league goals all season so far as Burnley push for an immediate return to the top-flight. He has kept an eye-catching 28 clean sheets in 41 appearances, further enhancing his stock as one of the highly-rated goalkeepers in English football.

The Carlisle-born talent’s record in the Championship has caught the attention of several Premier League clubs. With Burnley looking to clinch automatic promotion, they’d want to keep hold of Trafford. So, Man United will have to convince the Clarets into selling the England international.

Trafford, a product of Manchester City’s academy, spent eight years at the club but never made a senior appearance before joining Burnley in the summer of 2023. He has since earned plenty of plaudits for his well-rounded style of goalkeeping at Turf Moor. Valued at £30m, the 22-year-old is tipped by many to replace Jordan Pickford as England’s No.1 in the future.

Extremely talented with immense potential, Trafford would be a smart signing for Amorim’s Man United. With speculation mounting that Onana could be sold after back-to-back underwhelming seasons at Old Trafford, INEOS would be wise to go for the Burnley star in the summer.

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.