May 27th 2024.
According to reports, Chelsea is showing interest in signing James Trafford, the 20-year-old goalkeeper for Burnley who was recently relegated from the Premier League. It is said that the Blues are willing to offer a whopping £20 million for the young shot-stopper, who has also been a part of the England national team.
Trafford joined Burnley last summer from Manchester City in a deal worth £19 million, following an impressive performance at the U-21s European Championship. Despite being dropped from the starting lineup towards the end of the season, Trafford was still chosen to be a part of Gareth Southgate's 33-man training squad for the upcoming Euros.
It seems that Chelsea is looking for a long-term first-choice goalkeeper, as their current options have not been up to par. Last summer, they brought in Robert Sanchez from Brighton but he failed to live up to expectations and was replaced by Djordje Petrovic during the second half of the season. Additionally, the Blues will also have to deal with the return of Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was on loan at Real Madrid last season. However, it is expected that the Spanish keeper, who was bought for a record-breaking £71 million, will leave permanently this summer.
Chelsea's plans to sign Trafford may have been affected by the recent sacking of their manager, Mauricio Pochettino. Despite a successful second half of the season, the Argentine was let go by mutual consent after a meeting with co-owner Todd Boehly. It is now rumored that the Blues are close to appointing Enzo Maresca, the current manager of Leicester City, as their new boss. They have reportedly approached the newly promoted club to discuss a contract with the 44-year-old Italian.
Maresca has a release clause in his current deal, which has increased following Leicester's promotion to the Premier League. Chelsea will have to pay around £10 million in compensation to secure his services. Maresca, who previously worked under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, led Leicester to the Championship title and a swift return to the English top flight.
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