1 day ago
29
Latest Manchester City news and rumours as the club close in on the re-signing of former academy goalkeeper James Trafford
Manchester City are close to re-signing goalkeeper James Trafford, though the move is not expected to affect Ederson’s future at the Etihad Stadium.
Trafford, a product of City’s academy, had loan spells with Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers before making a permanent switch to Turf Moor in the summer of 2023, having never made a competitive senior appearance for City. He quickly established himself as a regular at Burnley, making over 70 appearances across the past two seasons.
Newcastle United have held a longstanding interest in the 22-year-old and were keen to sign him this summer. However, MEN Sport understands that City had a matching clause in the deal that took him to Burnley.
They have now matched Newcastle’s £27 million offer, and Trafford is expected to return to the club after agreeing a five-year contract with an option for a further 12 months.
Naturally, the move has raised questions about Ederson’s future. The Brazilian has long been City’s first-choice goalkeeper, though speculation around his future has intensified this summer amid links with Turkish giants Galatasaray.
However, MEN Sport also understands that Trafford is being brought in to compete for the No.1 shirt, not to replace Ederson.
Instead, it is backup goalkeeper Stefan Ortega who is expected to leave before the transfer window closes. The 32-year-old has one year remaining on his contract, having joined on a free transfer in 2022.
Ortega has made 56 appearances for City in all competitions over the past three seasons. His most recent outing came in City’s FIFA Club World Cup group stage match against Al-Ain last month, where he played the full 90 minutes in their 6-0 win.
Trafford will become City’s sixth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait Nouri and Rayan Cherki. City also signed 33-year-old goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea for a nominal fee, with a contract running until the summer of 2026.
---
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.
English (US) ·