Burnley identify James Trafford replacement with addition of Newcastle United goalkeeper
Burnley have found their replacement for James Trafford in the form of Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
The experienced stopper makes the move to Turf Moor for an undisclosed fee, penning a one-year contract with the Clarets.
The Slovak international becomes the eighth signing of an increasingly busy summer on the transfer front.
The 36-year-old takes the number one shirt from Trafford, who recently left the club to re-join Manchester City in a £31m deal, plus add-ons and a sell-on.
Ironically, Trafford had long been chased by Newcastle, but after losing out on the 22-year-old the Magpies instead brought in Aaron Ramsdale on an initial loan deal from Southampton – and he’s expected to battle it out with former Claret Nick Pope for their number one shirt.
That forced Dubravka further down the pecking order at St James’ Park, paving the way for Scott Parker’s men to get their man.
Dubravka joined Newcastle from Sparta Prague in 2018 following an initial loan spell. He made 179 appearances during that time.
After starting his career with Slovak side Zilina, Dubravka went on to represent Swedish outfit Esbjerg and Czech side Slovan Liberec.
While at Newcastle, he even spent time on loan at Manchester United, but only made two appearances – although one of those came against the Clarets in a Carabao Cup affair.
The stopper has also been capped 53 times by his country.
The Clarets have already brought in one goalkeeper this summer in Max Weiss, but he’s likely to provide backup. Vaclav Hladky and Etienne Green are also on the books.
The arrival of Dubravka comes hot on the heels of the signing of midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu from Chelsea.
The club also remain in discussions with Chelsea over the signing of Armando Broja. The Clarets are in advanced talks to strike a permanent deal for the 23-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Everton.