Man City transfer news: James Trafford deal, Ederson exit given green light as goalkeeper verdict is delivered

Manchester City’s decision to pursue a move for James Trafford should first-choice goalkeeper Ederson leave the club this summer “makes an awful lot of sense”, Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole.

Recent reports have claimed that Ederson has agreed personal terms with Turkish giants Galatasaray who are expected to table a formal offer for the 31-year-old with just a year remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium.

Although Ederson said earlier this summer that he intends to stay at Man City this summer, the six-time Premier League winner continues to be linked with an exit - with Saudi Pro League clubs also said to be monitoring his situation - and Trafford could be the man to succeed him as Pep Guardiola’s new number one.

Man City are understood to have approached Burnley over re-signing the 22-year-old goalkeeper, who was sold to the Clarets by the Citizens for around £15m in 2023 and has since established himself as one of the brightest young goalkeepers in England.

Trafford conceded just 16 goals and kept an impressive 29 clean sheets in 45 Championship games last season to claim the Golden Glove and help Burnley secure automatic promotion to the Premier League with 100 points.

Man City are keen to negotiate on the £40m buy-back clause that they have for Trafford, who has also been linked with Newcastle United throughout this summer, though the Magpies are now believed to have pulled out of the running following City’s decision to enter the race.

Trafford is said to be keen to return to Man City where he was on the books for eight years between 2015 and 2023, and McInerney would welcome the arrival of the “extremely confident” goalkeeper as he feels that Ederson’s time at the club is coming to a end.

“It's the right time” for Ederson to leave amid Galatasaray links

Speaking to Sports Mole, McInerney said: “I think Ederson has had his peak. He's only 31 which is not old for a goalkeeper admittedly, but I think there are mitigating factors at play here.

“There's the treble malaise which absolutely is a thing. When you've achieved so much at any team, sometimes you do need a refresh and I think it's very obvious that Ederson had his head turned last summer.

“There was the sort of shenanigans around him not wanting to come off against Spurs (at the end of the 2023-24 season) and [Stefan] Ortega went in goal, made that big save, got a few starts after that. I think it definitely knocked Ederson's confidence a little bit.

“Then there were rumours around the Saudi move which he very obviously wanted. He came out and said he didn't want it afterwards, but I think he had his head turned by a new challenge, with a lot of money over in the Saudi league as well.

“Last season, I think he was fine. He had some good moments, some good assists of course as well, but I think it's fair to say that Ederson has done everything he needs to possibly do at Man City. He's done everything he can achieve at Man City. The run of trophies and success wouldn't have been possible without him.

“I do feel you can tell when a player is looking elsewhere and I think all these links to other clubs don't come about unless the player and their agent are welcoming those options, so I think it's time for him to move on because I think he wants it.

“At that point, at the elite level if you're not 100% in and even 1% out, it does makes a difference. The consequences of your actions aren’t felt quite as harshly if you've got one foot out the door. I think it's the right time (for him to leave).”

“Trafford has the right mentality and the right attitude to be at City”

Discussing the potential arrival of Trafford at Man City, McInerney added: “I'm a massive James Trafford fan. I've been watching him for several years and that's not an exaggeration. I’ve spoken to him before personally and he's an extremely confident young lad. A very talented young goalkeeper.

“I once replied to an Instagram story of his about a pass that he made. I said he moved like Ederson and he replied ‘Nah moving like myself’. That was when he was a bit younger. Extreme self-confidence there, but rightfully so he's justified it.

“Most famously of course at the Under-21 Euros (in 2023) where he didn’t conceded a single goal for England, and then broke records for Burnley last year in terms of the number clean sheets and so on.

“James Trafford has the right mentality and the right attitude to be at City. So much of goalkeeping at the highest level is confidence and self-belief and you won't meet a more cocksure lad than James Trafford.

“He's always felt he was good enough to be Manchester City's number one. He said that when leaving Burnley. He said that he wanted to come back as number one one day.

“He may be a little bit more rough around the edges compared to a Diogo Costa (of Porto) or someone like that, but I look at Ederson and he [did not have much] top-flight experience (at Benfica) when he joined Manchester City. He was only very young.

“Trafford’s already played in the Premier League. The Championship is an incredibly difficult league. He's got lots of experience, he's been in the England (senior) squad, too. James Trafford has the quality, he absolutely does, I truly believe that.

Man City would break the mould by re-signing academy graduate Trafford

“It would be another success for the routes that some of these (academy) players could take. A lot's been made about City moving on from some young players like Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Romeo Lavia and Liam Delap, players that could have solved issues in the current squad you could argue, and often they have buy-back clauses and City don't activate them.

“It looks like James Trafford might be the first to go and come back actually as an established first-teamer potentially, having had that developmental period, a couple years away from the club, then come back and fulfil his potential and promise. I know for a fact a lot of people at City really rate James Trafford, he's got so much ability.

“As a City fan and as a pretty big fan of the academy side and watching them develop, it does mean more to me when you see an academy player break through.

“He clearly loves the club. He was there from a very young age, clearly very talented... I’m very excited for him.”

Trafford’s mentality and confidence has been compared to former Man City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart, and McInerney believes that the 22-year-old has the potential to establish himself as a first-choice goalkeeper for club and country for years to come.

“Trafford is very good, remarkably good with the ball at his feet,” said McInerney. “Maybe not quite Ederson, but if Ederson's a 10 out of 10, James is at least a nine. Ederson is a freakish one-of-one that way, but I don't think you have to be the very best in the world at passing to be successful in a passing side.

“PSG were the most impressive side in the world last year last season, [but Gianluigi] Donnarumma is hardly Ederson is he. He's probably not even [as good as Stefan] Ortega with the ball at his feet, [but PSG] were still absolutely great.

Trafford’s fearlessness, confidence “will carry him well at Man City”

“I think Trafford does have everything other than experience, and if you don’t have experience you have to ask a lot then about his mentality. There are no doubts whatsoever, you will struggle to meet a more confident young man.

“He a little bit like Joe Hart actually in terms of self-belief, and I think you have to have a little bit of that sort of ego, in a good way, that confidence, borderline arrogance, to be a great goalkeeper.

“You've got to be fearless and I think that will carry him well at Manchester City. I personally don't see why you'd sign him and not have him as number one at this point.

“Ortega’s a good keeper but you don't sign James Trafford and bring him back to be backup to Ortega. It doesn't make any sense to me. The money that you'd spend to sign Trafford would imply that he's going to be a number one keeper, a similar fee that we paid for Ederson potentially.

“He actually strikes me as the kind of guy who could be City's number one for 10 years and England number one for 10 years. He’s a safe bet [for City who] know everything about how he plays. City trust him implicitly, because they understand him, all the coaches understand him. He’s probably trained with Pep multiple times already as well in the past. I think it makes an awful lot of sense.”

McInerney has also shared his thoughts on the possibility of Man City signing a new number two goalkeeper, with Ortega allegedly having been identified by Burnley as a replacement for Trafford - Marcus Bettinelli joined the Citizens earlier this summer, but he is set to act as a third-choice shot-stopper following the departure of Scott Carson.

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Written by
Oliver Thomas