Burnley boss Scott Parker on James Trafford's future amid Man City reports and whether he will be replaced
Scott Parker has suggested Burnley will look to replace James Trafford should the in-demand goalkeeper complete his move away from the club.
Multiple reports at the back end of last week suggested the 22-year-old is closing in on a return to his former club Manchester City.
Trafford has been the subject of intense speculation this summer, with Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United retaining their strong interest from 12 months ago.
The saga has dragged on, however, and his former club City now appear to have stolen a march over their Premier League rivals.
The stopper didn’t travel to Portugal for Burnley’s recent training camp and was again absent for the Clarets’ friendly double header on Saturday, where Parker split his squad for friendlies against Huddersfield Town and Shrewsbury Town.
Asked afterwards if he expects Trafford to move on soon, the Clarets boss told the Burnley Express: “I think so, I think that would be the case, yes. I think Traffs is likely to move on.
“It's been an incredible year last year, incredible everything about him. We'll see if it actually happens, but my feeling is it could get done.”
Multiple sources have reported that Pep Guardiola’s side have agreed a deal to re-sign their former goalkeeper, with medical tests scheduled to take place this coming week.
It’s claimed City have a buy-back clause for Trafford following his 2023 departure and also matching rights, allowing them to match any offer from another club.
As of Friday, Burnley hadn’t received any confirmation of Trafford’s next destination. But it appears just a matter of time until the protracted saga finally comes to an end.
For the Clarets, attention will now inevitably turn to what’s next and whether the club will look to replace one of the stars of their 100-point Championship season.
Parker already has Vaclav Hladky and Etienne Green on his books, while 21-year-old Max Weiss has arrived from Germany.
“I think it's something we'll be looking at, yes,” Parker added, when quizzed about whether Burnley would look to replace Trafford.
“Again, obviously, we’ll work that out. We’ll speak to the owners and we'll get to a decision on what we see best with that.”