According to reports, Newcastle United are the ‘favourites’ to beat Spurs in the race to sign Manchester City star James Trafford.

Newcastlewere initially the frontrunners to sign Trafford last summer, but he ultimately returned to Man City after they activated his buy-back clause.

This decision has not paid off, though. Man City also signed Gianluigi Donnarumma last summer and the world-class goalkeeper has been favoured by Pep Guardiola this season.

Therefore, Traffordcould pursue an exit in this summer’s transfer window and Newcastle are inevitably being mooted as a contender to sign him.

According to a report from Football Insider‘s Pete O’Rourke, Spurs also want Trafford, but Newcastle are the ‘favourites’ to sign him and a summer transfer is looking ‘increasingly likely’.

“I think obviously we know Newcastle are long-term admirers of James Trafford,” O’Rourke told Football Insider.

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“They came very, very close to signing him last summer. It looked like he was going to make that move only for Man City to steal in and lure him back to the Etihad Stadium

“Obviously Trafford is not too happy that he’s been displaced as number one at City, with Gianluigi Donnarumma coming in.

“Trafford will want to be playing regularly. He’s admitted that he has been shocked by what has happened to him.

“I’m sure Newcastle have continued to keep tabs on Trafford…they’ll be looking at him as a potential new signing.

“If Trafford wants to leave City in the summer in search of regular first-team football, there’ll be a number of Premier League clubs who’ll be interested in the England goalkeeper.”

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It is not all good news for Newcastle, though. They face losing several key players after failing to qualify for the Champions League, including Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltemade, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.

Another report from Football Insiderhas backed Newcastle to ‘agree’ the exits of Gordon and Woltemade, with former Everton and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness explaining why the former is likely to join Liverpool.

“Well, Anthony Gordon. I mean, I see a lot of the sections of the Newcastle fans. He’s not the favourite at the moment and there’s a lot of dissatisfaction up there,” Wyness told Football Insider.

“I think he’d be one of those that would go, and I think he’ll go at a decent price and that would be factored into how they’re going to rebuild the squad this summer. And that’s where I think these sorts of things are going to go.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nick Woltemade go as well. So they’re going to be raising some money to do this rebuilding, and it’s important they get this right.

“I’ve always said, Gordon to Liverpool, there’s been talk about Arsenal, but I do think it’ll be Liverpool and I think that’s where he’s going to end up. I think Newcastle will be better off for a change this summer and I don’t think they want to keep him to be honest.”

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