Newcastle are looking to finalise a deal for Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford that could pave the way for newly promoted Leeds United to sign England international Nick Pope
Leeds United are eyeing a swoop for Nick Pope ahead of their return to the Premier League, with Newcastle reportedly open to selling the goalkeeper if they are able to sign a replacement. Pope has starred for Newcastle since joining in 2022, making almost 100 appearances for the club.
However, he could be set to leave St James’ Park after three years if Newcastle are successful in their renewed pursuit of Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford.
Newcastle attempted to sign Trafford last summer, but the deal fell through and the 22-year-old starred as Burnley earned promotion from the Championship.
Trafford kept 29 clean sheets in 45 league games last season and a report from the Daily Mail states that Newcastle are ‘expected’ to sign the England international for a fee of around £30million this summer.
If the Trafford deal is completed, it could pave the way for Leeds to sign Pope as they search for an upgrade on Ilan Meslier. Meslier has made some major errors at Leeds and it is claimed the club are keen to sign a replacement as they look to avoid relegation.
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Leeds are said to have made an enquiry for Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, but the 26-year-old is poised to join Brentford instead after they agreed an £18m deal with the Reds.
Kelleher currently acts as backup to Alisson, but with Giorgi Mamardashvili set to arrive from Valencia this summer he would slip further down the pecking order. And Kelleher has spoken openly about his desire for more game time.
“Yeah, yeah definitely,” he said last month. “I’ve said it before as well, I feel like I’m good enough to be a No.1 and I feel like I’m good enough to play week in, week out and that’s what I’m looking to do.
“This season I was lucky enough to play a lot of games but it’s definitely something I’m looking at.” News of Kelleher’s expected move to Brentford comes after it was revealed that the Bees are set to sell current first choice goalkeeper Mark Flekken to Bayer Leverkusen.
The deal will not be the first time Brentford and Liverpool have done business with each other in recent seasons, with Fabio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg both making the move from Anfield to West London last summer.
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
