Chelsea now favourites to sign £20m-rated goalkeeper ahead of Newcastle and make him No1 next season-report

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Chelsea will continue their search for a new number-one goalkeeper this summer.

Chelsea will be in the transfer market for a permanent number one and have their eyes on Burnley’s England Under-21 goalkeeper James Trafford, LondonWorld has been exclusively told. 

The Chelsea sporting directors who have been tasked with finding the best talents and players around the world for the club have identified the 21-year-old as the man who can be trusted as the long-term number one for the Blues. 

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Trafford, 21, is in the initial 33-man England squad for Euro 2024 and looks set to be thrown a Premier League lifeline despite his club’s relegation from the top league. 

He was dropped by former Burnley manager Vincent Kompany in the final games of the season,  but there is no doubting his talent and there is strong belief that he will even get better as the years roll on. 

He was outstanding for England Under-21 as they won the Euros last summer and that earned him a move to Burnley for a reported fee of around £15million with Kompany knowing him from his time at the club. 

Newcastle United are also interested in him, LondonWorld has been told but he would prefer a move to west London and a fee in the region of £20million will be enough to seal the deal and bring him to Stamford Bridge

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Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic made 21 and 31 appearances across all competitions respectively, but there is a feeling within the Chelsea board they want someone younger and can adapt to how they want to play the game going forward. 

Chelsea still hunting down a new manager 

Chelsea are still without a head coach after Mauricio Pochettino left the club last week. The search for a new manager has taken a swift turn with Roberto de Zerbi, who just left Brighton now a leading candidate for the job. 

Before him, Kieran McKenna and Enzo Maresca were all at some point heading the polls to be the new coach of the club.

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