James Trafford has returned to Manchester City from Burnley in what is being described as a record-setting transfer for a British goalkeeper. The Premier League champions are set to pay £27 million, with the deal potentially rising to a total of £31 million.
City had negotiated a matching clause during the sale of Trafford to Burnley in 2023, allowing them to reclaim him when Newcastle recently agreed to the same £31 million fee with Burnley. However, thanks to a sell-on clause from the previous deal, City’s net expenditure amounts to £27 million.
The previous record for a British goalkeeper was held by Jordan Pickford, who was transferred from Sunderland to Everton for £30 million.
Trafford has signed a five-year contract with the option for an additional year and will now compete with Ederson for the starting goalkeeper position under manager Pep Guardiola. While Stefan Ortega, who played 13 games in the last Premier League season, is expected to leave the club soon, no agreements for his exit have been finalized yet. Burnley is reportedly interested in acquiring Ortega.
Expressing his excitement about his return to City, Trafford said, “Rejoining City is such a special and proud moment both for me and my family. I always dreamed that one day I would be able to come back to Manchester City. This is the place I call home – it’s a truly special football club with fantastic people who make it such a unique place to work and play.”
He further added, “I am also very excited and honoured to have been given the opportunity to work under Pep and with such a world-class group of players. I am still very young and hungry to keep learning and improving – and I know there is no better environment than Manchester City to help make me become the best goalkeeper I can be. I also cannot wait to play in front of the amazing City fans for the first time and will do everything I can to help this great club look to achieve even more success.”
After joining City’s academy in 2015, Trafford’s path included loan spells at Accrington and Bolton. Seeking regular first-team football amidst competition from Ederson, he moved to Burnley.
He remarked, “When I had the opportunity to go to Burnley I thought it was the right step for me in that moment and in the long-term it was to achieve to come back here. I’m happy that I’ve achieved it.”
Trafford, who will don the number one shirt, now becomes the sixth signing of the summer for Manchester City, following Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, Marcus Bettinelli, Rayan Cherki, and Sverre Nypan.
City’s sporting director, Hugo Viana, expressed optimism regarding Trafford’s return: “James is already one of the most accomplished young goalkeepers in the English game, and we are delighted to welcome him back to Manchester City. We feel he is an ideal fit for this squad and will bring great quality to the goalkeeping department. We fully believe he will be really successful and a top goalkeeper for Manchester City and the national team. I also have no doubt that working with Pep and the technical staff here at City will only see James further develop his abilities.”
