Man City transfer news: £40m James Trafford plan revealed as 'talks begin' over Burnley signing

Manchester City have reportedly touched base with Burnley to discuss the possibility of re-signing James Trafford in the summer transfer window.

The 22-year-old goalkeeper spent eight years on the Etihad books from 2015 to 2023, but he never made his senior debut for the Citizens, who loaned him out to Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers before a permanent switch to Burnley.

The Clarets coughed up £15m to sign Trafford two years ago, and Scott Parker's side have certainly got their money's worth, as the Englishman won the Championship Golden Glove with an astonishing 29 clean sheets last season.

Trafford conceded a mere 16 goals in 46 games as Burnley clinched second place with 100 points, only missing out on the title due to an inferior goal difference to fellow Premier League returnees Leeds United.

However, Trafford is now in the final two years of his contract at Turf Moor, and a move to Newcastle United has long been mooted for the Under-21 European champion.

Man City's £40m transfer plan revealed as Trafford 'talks' begin

The Magpies are now at serious risk of a hijack, though, as Fabrizio Romano reports that Man City have started contacts with Burnley to explore a deal for their former youth product.

The Sky Blues inserted a £40m buyback clause into Trafford's Burnley contract, giving them first refusal for any future transfer and potentially throwing a spanner in the works for Newcastle.

However, Romano adds that City want to negotiate a lower fee than the £40m option, and Burnley are not in a strong negotiating position given that Trafford has now entered the final two years of his deal.

The 22-year-old has registered a total of 31 clean sheets in 73 games for the Clarets in all tournaments, although he registered just two shut-outs in the 2023-24 Premier League campaign en route to a swift relegation.

What needs to happen for Man City to re-sign Trafford

A deal for Trafford will not be entirely straightforward for Man City, though, as Romano states that he will only be able to return to the Etihad if one or both of Ederson or Stefan Ortega depart.

Pep Guardiola's number one and number two are in the final 12 months of their contracts in Manchester, and Ederson in particular is not short of interest from across the globe.

The Brazil international has supposedly been the subject of a £2.6m bid from a Turkish club, while two Saudi Arabian heavyweights are also pursuing his services.

Ortega's long-term future is also unclear, but Man City have already reinforced their goalkeeping ranks this summer, signing Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea to replace Scott Carson.

Written by
Ben Knapton