Manchester City are preparing to welcome back goalkeeper James Trafford in a £27 million deal—two years after he first left the club.
The 22-year-old, who rose through City’s youth system, made the move to Burnley in 2023 and made a name for himself with a standout season under Scott Parker. With 29 clean sheets in 45 matches, he played a key role in Burnley’s promotion and was deservedly named in the Championship’s Team of the Season.
Thanks to a buy-back clause and matching rights in his Burnley contract, City have stepped in after Newcastle submitted a £27 million bid. Trafford has chosen a return to the Etihad, where he’s expected to sign a five-year deal, with the possibility of a sixth.
Although he’ll initially rank behind Ederson, Stefan Ortega, and Marcus Bettinelli, Trafford is tipped to push for the starting spot—especially with Ederson nearing the end of his contract and rumours swirling about a potential move to Galatasaray. Ederson, however, denied such claims earlier this summer, calling them “99% fake news.”
Trafford’s history with City includes time in the academy and loan stints at Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers, but he never made a senior appearance before joining Burnley.
If the deal is finalised, he’ll be City’s sixth signing of the summer, joining Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Sverre Nypan, Rayan Aït-Nouri, and Marcus Bettinelli.
In North London, Arsenal are closing in on Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres. A deal worth £63.5 million is nearly wrapped up, with only the final details on add-ons remaining. Gyökeres has already been cleared for his medical and is expected to commit to a five-year deal.
The 27-year-old had a sensational season at Sporting, scoring 54 goals in 52 appearances and playing a huge role in back-to-back league titles. He’s also earned 26 international caps for Sweden, with 15 goals since debuting in 2019.
This signing follows Arsenal’s unsuccessful pursuit of RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško. The Gunners are currently continuing their pre-season tour in Singapore.
