Manchester City have completed the signing of goalkeeper James Trafford, bringing him back to the Etihad Stadium from Burnley in a deal the selling club claims is a new record for a British goalkeeper.
While sources at Manchester City indicate the transfer is worth an initial £27 million plus add-ons, Burnley announced the deal would reach £31 million plus add-ons and includes a significant sell-on clause. If the Burnley figure is confirmed, it would surpass the £30 million Everton paid Sunderland for Jordan Pickford in 2017.
The 22-year-old has signed a five-year contract with an option for a further year and will wear the number one shirt. City activated a buy-back and matching rights clause after Newcastle United submitted a £27 million bid, with Trafford opting for a return to his former club.
“Rejoining City is such a special and proud moment both for me and my family,” Trafford said in a statement. “I always dreamed that one day I would be able to come back… This is the place I call home.”
Trafford returns to City after a hugely successful season at Turf Moor. He was instrumental in Burnley’s promotion back to the Premier League under manager Scott Parker, keeping 29 clean sheets in 45 Championship appearances and earning a place in the division’s team of the year.
City’s Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain, praised the signing. “James is already one of the most accomplished young goalkeepers in the English game, and we are delighted to welcome him back,” he said. “He has all the attributes a top-class goalkeeper requires. We fully believe he will be really successful.”
Trafford’s arrival creates significant competition in Pep Guardiola’s squad and raises questions about the future of City’s other goalkeepers. He will challenge the long-standing number one, Ederson, who is in the final year of his contract. While the Brazilian recently dismissed exit rumours as “99% fake news,” the arrival of a high-profile challenger could alter the club’s plans. Stefan Ortega, the current number two, now faces a more uncertain future.
A City academy graduate since 2015, Trafford never made a senior appearance in his first spell, gaining experience on loan at Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers before his permanent move to Burnley in July 2023 for a fee of up to £19 million. He has been capped by England at every level up to the Under-21s, with whom he won the 2023 European Championship without conceding a single goal, and received his first senior call-up in 2024.
Trafford is the sixth signing in a busy summer transfer window for the Premier League champions, joining Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Sverre Nypan, Rayan Aït-Nouri, and veteran goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli at the club.
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