Man City set to re-sign James Trafford from Burnley in £27m deal

Manchester City have reached an agreement with Burnley to bring goalkeeper James Trafford back to the Etihad Stadium in a deal worth £27 million.

The 22-year-old is expected to sign a five-year contract with an option for a further year.

Trafford was a target for Newcastle United earlier this summer. However, Man City matched their offer and moved quickly to finalise terms with Burnley and the player.

Despite having a £40m buy-back clause in the original deal that took Trafford to Turf Moor last summer, City were able to negotiate a lower figure to accelerate the transfer.

His return adds further depth to City’s goalkeeping department, where Ederson remains first-choice and Stefan Ortega has served as the main back-up.

Ortega’s future may come under renewed scrutiny following Trafford’s arrival, although no departure has been confirmed.

Ederson, who had been the subject of interest from the Saudi Pro League earlier this summer, has publicly reaffirmed his commitment to staying.

Trafford never made a senior appearance during his first spell with Man City, but has developed significantly since leaving.

Following a difficult Premier League season with Burnley in 2023-24, where he eventually lost his place under Vincent Kompany, he rediscovered his form in the Championship.

The young goalkeeper kept 29 clean sheets and conceded just 16 goals across 45 matches as Burnley secured automatic promotion back to the top flight.

His form also brought him onto the radar of England manager Gareth Southgate, who included Trafford in the provisional 2024 European Championship squad before omitting him from the final 26.

The move represents a fresh blow for Newcastle, who have already missed out on several other targets this summer, including Joao Pedro, Dean Huijsen and Bryan Mbeumo.

Trafford is due to undergo a medical early next week, with an official announcement expected shortly thereafter.