Man Utd's plan to snatch Championship star from under noses of Premier League rival

Manchester United are poised to derail Newcastle’s pursuit of a Championship standout performer, as reports emerge of Ruben Amorim’s growing frustration with one of his key starters.

With a busy summer transfer window ahead, United are looking to reinforce several positions, including right wing-back and striker.

However, one area that could see a major shake-up is between the posts. Recent reports suggest Amorim is becoming increasingly frustrated with Andre Onana’s frequent errors, raising the prospect of a new goalkeeper arriving at Old Trafford.

Onana, who joined from Inter Milan for £43.8m, has struggled to convince, with his mistakes costing United on multiple occasions. His latest blunders came during Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town, where he was at fault for both goals.

According to CaughtOffside, United have identified Burnley’s James Trafford as a top target and are prepared to offer him a five-year contract.

Trafford has been in exceptional form this season, registering 24 clean sheets in 33 Championship games. His save percentage stands at an incredible 88%, having stopped both penalties he has faced and conceded just nine goals all season.

Statistically, Trafford is rated as the best player in the Championship by FotMob, with an average match rating of 7.58, surpassing Leeds United’s Junior Firpo (7.54) and Ao Tanaka (7.52).

Newcastle have long pursued Trafford as a replacement for Nick Pope, whose form has dipped this season. The Magpies attempted to sign Trafford in each of the last two transfer windows, and they remain keen.

Burnley will demand at least £20m for the highly-rated goalkeeper, but with interest from both Manchester United and Newcastle, he is expected to move to a bigger club this summer—even if Burnley secure Premier League promotion.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe views Trafford as a potential long-term No.1 and had previously agreed personal terms with the shot-stopper, according to Fabrizio Romano. However, if United act on their interest, Newcastle could miss out on their primary goalkeeping target for a third consecutive transfer window.

Meanwhile, The Sun reports that Marcus Rashford is warming to the idea of joining Aston Villa permanently once his loan spell ends.

Villa hold a £40m option to sign him in the summer, and Rashford believes Unai Emery can help reignite his career and boost his chances of making the England squad under new manager Thomas Tuchel.

In another major development, Calciomercato claims that United are willing to use Rasmus Højlund as part of a deal to sign Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen, currently on loan at Galatasaray, will return to Napoli at the end of the season but is expected to be sold.

His release clause will drop from €120m to a range of €75m-€80m on July 1. Given United’s financial constraints, they are reportedly considering an offer of £33m plus Højlund in exchange for the Nigerian striker.

As United prepare for a major summer rebuild, their transfer activity will be closely watched, with Trafford, Osimhen, and Rashford’s futures all potentially in the spotlight.