Trafford has been United’s first choice goalkeeper target for more than 12 months, with the Magpies having tried and failed to secure a deal to sign the 22-year-old last summer.
The former Manchester City youngster ended up staying at Burnley, where he had a remarkable season, keeping 29 clean sheets in 45 league appearances – including a double penalty save in the Clarets’ 0-0 home draw with Sunderland.
Scott Parker guided Burnley to promotion but the Clarets still face a fight to keep hold of Trafford this summer, and Newcastle are hopeful they can lure the young keeper to St James’ Park. Trafford wants the move.
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Burnley are said to value Trafford at £30m, with representatives from both clubs now in discussions.
There looks set to be plenty of movement on the goalkeeper front at Newcastle this summer.
If Trafford was to join, he’d battle with Nick Pope for the gloves, though Leeds United are monitoring the situation of Newcastle’s current No.1 and weighing up a summer move.
Signing a new starting goalkeeper is a priority for Daniel Farke after Leeds won promotion back to the Premier League.
The addition of Trafford would raise fresh doubts over the future of Martin Dubravka and Odysseas Vlachodimos.
Dubravka only signed a new contract earlier this year after his impressive stint in the side in the absence of the injured Pope. The Slovakian’s future would be determined by what decision is made on Pope.
Vlachodimos, meanwhile, only played 45 minutes last season after his surprise arrival as part of the deal that saw Elliot Anderson leave for Nottingham Forest. The Greek goalkeeper doesn’t feature in Eddie Howe’s plans and will be allowed to leave this summer.
Only last week, Trafford admitted he was close to leaving Burnley last summer in a move that he says would have been “brilliant” for him. Although he didn’t name-check Newcastle, the Magpies are almost certainly the club he’s referencing.
He told Ben Foster’s Fozcast podcast: “In the summer I think people knew I wanted to move.
“The club that I was close to going, it was a good fit for me. It was brilliant for me and I really believed in it.
“I wanted to move, not just because I didn’t want to play in the Championship, I had no shame playing in the Championship. I have no ego to think I’m better than the Championship. You only prove something by performing and showing people. You can say whatever you want but unless you perform.
“I knew the longer it went on, the reality became I would be playing the first game of the season and I wanted to play. I told the manager I’m available if he wanted to select me. If not, I’ll sit on the bench, but I’m available. He played me the first game and that was it.”
Trafford was also clear on his ambitions for the future.
He said: “That’s where I’ve always been aiming for, the top of the Prem. Everyone wants to go there, everyone wants to play there.
“To get there you have to play games, improve and get to a level where you do go back, to wherever I end up, whenever, to make sure I’m ready for it and I’m the best equipped to perform.”
