“Newcastle United’s Dream Transfer CRUSHED by Manchester City’s SHOCKING Clause – You Won’t Believe What They Did to Stop James Trafford’s Move!”
Newcastle Fans Believed James Trafford Deal Was Wrapped Up Before Window Opened
We’re now deep into the transfer window, yet James Trafford’s future remains uncertain.
Newcastle United have failed to reach an agreement with Burnley, who doubled their asking price over the past year to £40 million.
Newcastle’s refusal to meet that valuation has opened the door for Manchester City to potentially swoop in by activating the buy-back clause in Trafford’s contract.
Recent reports suggest that Trafford is open to returning to the Etihad and may even prefer a move back to City over one to Newcastle—despite having waited over a year for a switch to Tyneside.
Manchester City, meanwhile, hold a strong position in this situation. In addition to the buy-back clause, they also retain a 20% sell-on clause in Trafford’s deal.
This means that even if the goalkeeper ends up at Newcastle, City still stand to benefit financially.
Adding another twist, The Shields Gazette reports that Burnley are obligated to notify City if they accept a bid for Trafford from another club.
Once notified, City then have three days to decide whether to match the offer—essentially giving them first refusal. So, even if Newcastle do agree a fee with Burnley, City can still step in and hijack the deal.
Newcastle’s only real chance of signing Trafford is to move quickly, especially with City’s own goalkeeper situation still unclear.
Both Ederson and Stefan Ortega have uncertain futures, and unless one of them departs, City are unlikely to pursue a new keeper. That gives Newcastle a narrow window to act before City make their own decision.
It’s hard not to feel that all of this could have been avoided if Newcastle had acted decisively earlier in the window. There was a clear opportunity to seal the deal before complications arose.
While some fans believe Newcastle are executing a master plan behind the scenes, it’s difficult to see the logic right now. Unless the club accelerates their efforts, they risk missing out entirely.
