Manchester United keen on signing James Trafford as replacement for Andre Onana

Manchester United’s misery was compounded earlier on Wednesday as they lost 1-0 in a post-season friendly against ASEAN All Stars in Malaysia. The result means the Red Devils have lost four out of their previous five matches and while it will have little effect on things, it is another harsh reminder of how much rebuilding the first team requires.

Andre Onana was once again in goal as United conceded cheaply although it remains to be seen for how much longer he continues to retain his spot in between the sticks. It is expected that the club will spend sum of its transfer budget on signing a new goalkeeper and according to GiveMeSport, Manchester United are looking to sign Burnley’s James Trafford.

He had a terrific campaign in the Championship with Scott Parker’s men sealing promotion to the Premier League with 100 points on the board. The 22-year-old, formerly a part of Manchester City’s academy, conceded only 16 times in 45 games in the second division and has been on the radars of several top flight sides in England since the summer.

Trafford swoop will be difficult

James Trafford will be a significant upgrade on Andre Onana at Manchester United. He had a £30 million asking price back in February but the logical feeling is that Burnley will significantly up their demands having been promoted to the Premier League. That said, Ruben Amorim’s side will not find it easy to secure a deal for the goalkeeper.

With a limited transfer budget expected at the manager’s disposal, he would first have to get rid of Altay Bayindir and possibly even Onana. While the secondary shot-stopper is heavily linked with leaving Old Trafford, there are unlikely to be too many suitors for the latter’s services. Nonetheless, the proceeds from selling Bayindir are likely to be reinvested by the board.

It will be interesting to see what price tag James Trafford is slapped with given Burnley’s promotion, plus whether is open to joining Man United owing to his past at Manchester City. The Red Devils, however, would be remiss to consider solely Trafford as their target and need a lengthy shortlist, particularly with the numerous constraints they are expected to have in the market.