Keeper Trafford Returns 'home' To Man City For £27m

Goalkeeper James Trafford said Manchester City is "the spot I telephone home" arsenic he returned to nan nine from Burnley successful a woody worthy £27m positive add-ons.

The 22-year-old City academy postgraduate signed for nan Clarets for up to £19m successful July 2023.

He impressed past play arsenic Scott Parker's broadside won promotion backmost to nan Premier League - keeping 29 cleanable sheets crossed 45 Championship games - and was named successful nan division's squad of nan year.

City had a buy-back clause for Trafford and besides matching rights, allowing them to lucifer immoderate connection from different club.

They moved for nan subordinate pursuing a £27m bid from Newcastle - and Trafford opted for a return to Manchester.

He has signed a five-year statement pinch nan action for different twelvemonth astatine Etihad Stadium, and will deterioration nan number 1 shirt.

"Rejoining City is specified a typical and proud infinitesimal some for maine and my family," Trafford said.

"I ever dreamed that 1 time I would beryllium capable to travel backmost to Manchester City.

"This is nan spot I telephone location - it's a genuinely typical shot club.

"I americium still very young and quiet to support learning and improving - and I cognize location is nary amended situation than Manchester City to thief make maine go nan champion goalkeeper I tin be."

Director of shot Hugo Viana added: "James is already 1 of nan astir accomplished young goalkeepers successful nan English game, and we are delighted to invited him backmost to Manchester City.

"He has each nan attributes a top-class goalkeeper requires.

"We afloat judge he will beryllium really successful and a apical goalkeeper for Manchester City and nan [England] nationalist team."

Trafford is nan 4th goalkeeper astatine head Pep Guardiola's disposal, pinch Ederson, Stefan Ortega and Marcus Bettinelli already astatine nan club.

Trafford will situation Brazil's Ederson, who has been first prime for 8 years, for nan number 1 spot.

Ederson is successful nan last twelvemonth of his statement and has been linked pinch a move to Galatasaray, but past period described rumours of a departure arsenic "99% clone news".

City person not received immoderate bids for nan 31-year-old, but location are doubts astir nan early of German Ortega fixed nan accrued title for crippled clip Trafford's presence will bring.

Trafford signed for City's academy successful 2015 but did not make a first-team quality and spent clip connected indebtedness astatine Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers.

He made 73 appearances for Burnley, including 28 successful nan Premier League successful nan 2023-24 season.

Trafford has represented England from under-17 to under-21 level, and was portion of nan winning European Championship squad of 2023, during which he did not concede a goal.

He received his first elder world call-up successful 2024 but has yet to make his debut astatine that level.

Trafford is City's sixth signing of nan model aft midfielders Tijjani Reijnders (initial interest of £46.5m), Rayan Cherki (initial interest of £30.5m) and Sverre Nypan (£12.5m); left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri (£31m) and Bettinelli (nominal fee).

They besides spent £200m successful nan January transportation model to boost their squad pursuing important injuries.

Manchester City insert buy-back clauses erstwhile they waste players, yet thin not to activate them erstwhile those academy products move on.

But this is an illustration of why they put them successful nan deals, arsenic it has proven adjuvant successful nan expertise to bargain backmost a talented subordinate connected this occasion.

Having served an awesome apprenticeship astatine Turf Moor, City judge they tin create him into a apical goalkeeper - 1 who is already fresh for nan Premier League.

However, nan nine now person nan dilemma of moving connected either Ederson, who is entering nan last twelvemonth of his contract, aliases Ortega, who has now slipped a spot down nan pecking order.

Trafford conceded conscionable 16 convention goals pinch Burnley past word and kept a Championship-best 30 cleanable sheets, equalling Port Vale's Football League grounds which was group 71 years ago.

He besides group a caller Championship grounds of 12 consecutive shutouts betwixt December and February earlier he was yet beaten successful a 2-1 triumph astatine Cardiff City astatine nan commencement of March.

But contempt his stellar performances successful nan 2nd tier past season, Trafford lacks a grade of top-flight acquisition and only 28 of his 153 elder appearances person been successful nan Premier League.

Trafford's shot-stopping is undoubtedly first complaint and his prevention percent stands astatine almost 85% past season.

That fig acold exceeds nan numbers posted by some Ederson and Stefan Ortega, though Trafford was mostly facing inferior guidance astatine Championship level.

But he will person to create his distribution if he is to fresh into Guardiola's broadside and strategy arsenic his walk completion of 70% is comfortably little than that of Manchester City's existent goalkeepers.

That is partially because Burnley opted to spell agelong much often - averaging 55 agelong passes per crippled compared to City's 36 - and partially because Ederson and Ortega are much proficient astatine playing retired from nan back.