By Joseph Armstrong-Gardner
July 26, 2025
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James Trafford is set to return to Manchester City after a deal of £27 million was agreed with Burnley; a fee believed to be below the buy-back clause; Trafford had been a main target for Newcastle United but the 22 year old will now provide much needed competition for Ederson, who is expected to stay at City for the upcoming season.
Pep Guardiola’s side have matched a Newcastle offer of £27million with the player agreeing a five-year deal, plus the option of a further 12 months, to return to the club he left in June 2023.
Although the deal agreed with Burnley was worth around £31m plus add-ons, but the price has been reduced for City due to a sell-on clause they inserted in Trafford’s contract when he left the club back in 2023.
To Burnley, the total package is understood to be worth what would represent a record fee for a British goalkeeper, surpassing the £30m Everton paid Sunderland to sign Jordan Pickford in 2017.
Trafford’s first season at Turf Moor under former Burnley head coach Vincent Kompany – ex-captain of City – saw him concede 62 times and lose his position in the starting XI for the final months of their Premier League days. However, it was ultimately a weak defensive backline for Burnley that led to those 62 goals finding the back of Trafford’s net, alongside the extremely courageous tactical approaches that Kompany had implemented during his time at Turf Moor.
James Trafford nonetheless caught the eye of then-England manager Gareth Southgate. He impressed last season under Kompany’s successor, Scott Parker, conceding only 16 goals in 45 games to help the club secure automatic promotion and achieving 29 clean sheets in the process.
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The transfer to City will allow Trafford to develop immensely under the wing of Ederson, who has just one year left on his contract, and it’s anticipated that his deal won’t be renewed. Alluding to the No.1 position open for Trafford in the future, however, in the short term, game time will be limited for the young goalkeeper.
James Trafford was included in Southgate’s provisional 33-man squad for the 2024 European Championship as one of four goalkeepers alongside Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, and Dean Henderson, but was cut before the tournament started. From receiving regular playing time at City, Trafford will start to build a stronger reputation for himself and climb through the ranks for the England national team, potentially becoming their future No.1 at some point in his career.
Meanwhile, Stefan Ortega is expected to leave City, but nothing is close. Burnley have made their interest clear as he could be the direct replacement for James Trafford.
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Most City and Burnley fans on social media have had mixed reactions to the acquisition and departure of Trafford, with some people optimistic about his capabilities due to his promising performances at Burnley, while others are skeptical that he’s too young to step up to the highest level.
There’s no doubt that under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage, the sky is the limit for the career of James Trafford, as he’s already shown glimpses of becoming a world-class goalkeeper.
There has been a positive trend of young players joining City over the past year, and a minority of them have failed to impress. Therefore, Trafford’s second spell at City is bound for success.