Manchester City have secured the return of their former goalkeeper James Trafford from Burnley on a long-term contract. The club paid £27 million for the 22-year-old, having sold him to Burnley for £14 million in 2023, resulting in a net cost of £13 million. Reports confirm Trafford signed a five-year deal with an option to extend for an additional year.
Trafford is expected to compete for a first-team spot alongside Ederson and Stefan Ortega, who started 13 Premier League games last season. While Ortega’s departure is possible, no exit agreement is imminent.
Expressing his excitement, 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. 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.”
Wearing the number one shirt, Trafford becomes Manchester City’s sixth signing this summer, following Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, Marcus Bettinelli, Rayan Cherki, and Sverre Nypan.
source: African Publicity
