James Trafford Pushing for January Transfer After Just Five Months at Manchester City

By: Shawn
‎Manchester City summer signing James Trafford is reportedly pushing for a January exit just five months after making his return to the Etihad Stadium. The 23-year-old goalkeeper has struggled for regular minutes since rejoining Pep Guardiola’s squad and is said to be exploring options for a mid-season move.
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‎James Trafford is seeking a January move from Manchester City after losing his starting spot, aiming to protect his England World Cup chances.
‎Getty Images Sport 
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‎Trafford played a major part in Burnley’s promotion from the Championship in the 2024-25 campaign. The young goalkeeper featured in all but one league match and helped the Clarets record 30 clean sheets, matching the all-time English league record set by Port Vale in 1953-54.
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‎Scott Parker’s Burnley side conceded only 16 league goals across 46 matches with Trafford in goal. The Lancashire club finished the season with 100 points, securing second place behind Leeds United, who topped the table on goal difference after scoring 95 goals. Burnley concluded the campaign with 69 goals scored.
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‎Trafford attracted significant Premier League interest during the summer, with Newcastle United moving close to securing his signature. Eddie Howe’s side were seeking reinforcement in the goalkeeping department following their Carabao Cup success. Manchester City activated a matching rights clause to bring the former England Under-21 goalkeeper back to the club, having previously developed him before his sale to Burnley in 2023.
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‎Trafford started Manchester City’s opening three Premier League fixtures against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton and Hove Albion. The goalkeeper later lost his starting position to Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain after falling behind Lucas Chevalier in the French champions’ lineup.
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‎Donnarumma has made 14 appearances in all competitions for the 10-time league champions, leaving Trafford on the bench in the Premier League. Trafford has featured in the Carabao Cup, starting the victories over Huddersfield Town and Swansea City. His most recent appearance came in Manchester City’s 2-0 Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, a match where Guardiola rotated heavily and made ten changes to his starting XI.
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‎Reports from the Daily Mail state that Trafford is preparing to leave Manchester City during the January transfer window. Newcastle United are expected to revisit their interest, with Manchester City potentially facing further changes in the goalkeeping department as Stefan Ortega considers his future. The 32-year-old has slipped down the pecking order following the summer arrivals of Trafford, Donnarumma and Marcus Bettinelli.
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‎Trafford is reportedly concerned about maintaining his place in the England squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup. England manager Thomas Tuchel has emphasised the importance of regular playing time for selection ahead of next summer’s tournament.
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‎Donnarumma is expected to continue as Manchester City’s No. 1 when the squad travels to face Fulham on Tuesday. The Italian goalkeeper recently drew attention after Leeds United manager Daniel Farke suggested he had feigned injury during their league match. Donnarumma received treatment during a brief stoppage that allowed Guardiola to issue instructions to his players before they scored through Phil Foden to seal a 3-2 victory.
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‎Farke commented that the incident was permitted under the rules but raised questions over fair play and sportsmanship. The Leeds manager said the situation should be reviewed by the relevant authorities.

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