Manchester United could reportedly try to hijack Newcastle United's move for Burnley's James Trafford as they search for a potential Andre Onana successor.
The Red Devils' current number one has come in for renewed criticism over the past few weeks, making a few high-profile errors akin to his similar mistakes at the start of his Man United career.
One such blunder occurred in midweek, where miscommunication between Onana and Patrick Dorgu gave Ipswich Town's Jaden Philogene an empty net to tap into before Man United completed a 3-2 comeback win.
Ruben Amorim has since given Onana his public backing, but Man United are thought to be weighing up alternatives to their current first-choice, who has kept seven clean sheets in 27 Premier League matches this season.
According to GIVEMESPORT, one of those potential replacements is Burnley's Trafford, who has long been linked with a move to Newcastle but could now be at the centre of a tense transfer tussle.
Trafford 'pinpointed' as possible Onana replacement
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The 22-year-old failed to impress in the Premier League last season as Burnley crashed back down to the Championship, but he has been the last line of defence for an incredibly resilient Clarets side this season.
Trafford has kept an astounding 24 clean sheets in 33 Championship games in 2024-25 while letting in just nine goals, as Scott Parker's men sit just two points off the automatic promotion places in the second-tier table.
However, Trafford will only have two years left to run on his Turf Moor contract this summer, and the report claims that he has been 'pinpointed' by Old Trafford chiefs as an ideal replacement for the error-strewn Onana.
Despite publicly throwing support behind his number one, Amorim is allegedly growing 'increasingly frustrated' by the number of errors that he is making, and they hope to have a trick up their sleeve in Trafford negotiations.
While the Burnley man may have to battle Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka - who has just signed a new deal - for starts at Newcastle, Man United could make it clear that he will immediately come in as their new number one.
How much will Man United have to pay for Trafford?
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Burnley have thus far managed to resist Newcastle's interest in the England Under-21 international, but a fee of £30m would supposedly do the trick when the summer window rolls around.
However, there are still no guarantees that Man United will firm up their interest in Trafford, as Amorim apparently wants to take stock of his goalkeeping options when he has the chance further down the line.
Trafford has totalled 26 clean sheets in 61 games for Burnley, whom he joined from Man United's bitter rivals Manchester City in the summer of 2023 after failing to make the grade at the Etihad.
Man United are also rumoured to have shown an interest in Joan Garcia of Espanyol, but they will have to battle three other clubs to sign the Spaniard, including Premier League rivals Arsenal.
Ben Knapton
