Despite Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic investment, Chelsea targets £20m Englishman as ‘long-term’ No. 1

Chelsea has an interest in a £20 million Englishman as the new long-term No. 1

According to an exclusive report by The Sun, Chelsea is ready to launch a £20 million offer to sign Burnley and current England goalkeeper James Trafford this summer as the Blues have noticed the impressive skills of the Englishman.

Trafford, 21, appears to be handed a Premier League lifeline as he is included in the original 33-man England team for Euro 2024. Trafford falls under the group of rising stars that Chelsea hopes to sign for the long-term benefit of the team.

There are still very noticeable issues with the squad at the moment. At the top, arguably, is the need to sign a new goalkeeper, with Robert Sanchez failing to replicate the form he previously showed at Brighton before moving to London.

Chelsea is unhappy with the goalkeeping scenario

Robert Sanchez joined Chelsea last year for £25 million. There was a lot of potential in the 26-year-old but he failed to prove his worth to the Blues. Similarly, Chelsea bought Djordje Petrovic for £14 million with the expectations that he is a fine stopper and could certainly perform well as a replacement for Sanchez.

But consistent low-grade performances in the goalkeeping area made Chelsea add a goalkeeper to their necessary transfer list this summer. This led to the current situation where the Blues are ready to make a move for the English keeper James Trafford who is currently at Burnley.

After making an impression for the England U21s, the 21-year-old transferred from Manchester City to Burnley for a cool £19 million last summer. However, his Premier League season didn’t exactly go as planned, as he was left out of Vincent Kompany’s starting lineup as the team struggled to avoid relegation and ultimately lost.

Trafford just joined the Clarets last year, but with the report stating that a transfer to the Premier League may cost £20 million, he might be open to returning, particularly if it would improve his chances of playing for the national team.

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One might feel that a move to Trafford might be a bit of a gamble on Chelsea’s part but with the current goalkeeping scenario it is worth taking a risk. Chelsea stands in ninth place with 63 goals on the list showing maximum goals conceded by a team in Premier League this season. It will be interesting to see who will be the Blues’ next No. 1.