By Martin Graham
James Trafford’s homecoming to Manchester City during the summer looked like a dream move, but just weeks later, the young goalkeeper may already be questioning it.
The 22-year-old, who developed through City’s youth system but never featured in their senior side, left for Burnley in 2023. After experiencing relegation, he became crucial in their immediate return to the Premier League, making him one of the most promising English keepers.
On rejoining City, Trafford was handed the number one shirt and surprisingly started the opening three league matches. His momentum was halted, however, when Pep Guardiola offloaded Ederson to Fenerbahce and secured Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day for £26m.
Although Trafford will be between the posts in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Huddersfield, Guardiola’s decision to bring in an established star has left the former Burnley man on the sidelines much sooner than expected.
Promises and frustrations
Former City stopper Shay Given believes Trafford could feel misled, especially with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon. “Pep must have convinced him that the number one spot was his,” Given said. “Two weeks later, Donnarumma arrives and he’s suddenly stuck as backup. If it was me, I’d be furious.”
Trafford himself admitted in July that coming back to the Etihad was always a personal ambition, calling it “home.” His fee also caused debate, with City suggesting £27m plus add-ons, while Burnley claimed £31m with extras and a sell-on clause, possibly breaking the British record for a goalkeeper set by Jordan Pickford’s £30m switch to Everton in 2017.
Despite the high price, his pathway to England’s senior team now looks blocked, with Jordan Pickford still in place and Nick Pope in strong form at Newcastle.
Bright start but fierce competition
Trafford impressed on his City debut with a clean sheet against Wolves in a 4-0 win. He later made an error in defeat to Tottenham but stood out during the loss at Brighton. His consistent Championship performances for Burnley, which earned him the PFA Championship Player of the Year after 29 shutouts in 45 matches, showed his quality.
Yet Donnarumma’s arrival changed everything. The Italian, only 26 but already Italy’s captain with 76 caps, holds the Yashin award and recently finished ninth in the Ballon d’Or. Guardiola saw him as too good to overlook, despite his surprise benching at PSG under Luis Enrique.
With Donnarumma now first choice, Trafford finds himself learning from one of the world’s best, though City staff stress he has “an amazing” future and will feature regularly across four competitions.
The road not taken
Newcastle had long pursued Trafford, and insiders say he was “super excited” about joining. But because City included a matching clause in his Burnley deal, they could equal the Magpies’ bid and did so once terms were settled.
At St James’ Park, Trafford would have competed with Pope, who has started the campaign with four clean sheets in five games. That battle would have been tough, but perhaps more realistic than trying to replace Donnarumma at City.
Instead, Trafford chose the Etihad, where his dream quickly turned into a fight for minutes. As he lines up against Huddersfield in the EFL Cup, the question lingers: would life have looked brighter had he headed north rather than returning “home”?
