Signing a young goalkeeper who is already part of the England set-up for just £27million is an incredible piece of business. Factor in the £14m fee Manchester City sold James Trafford for in 2023 and the deal that has brought him back to the Etihad looks nothing short of a masterstroke.
Trafford believes he can challenge Ederson for the No.1 spot at City this season. Healthy competition for places has been the bedrock of City’s success in recent years, and while Trafford’s arrival will help City next season, it also sets them up for the future.
Ederson has been the subject of transfer interest from Saudi Pro League this summer, and even if he remains a City player come September, this is likely to be his final season with the club.
The Brazilian’s current deal expires in June 2026, by which point he will be nearly 33 and perhaps viewing a final bumper deal in what has been a stellar career.
With Trafford waiting in the wings to step in as City No.1 – that’s if he hasn’t already done so by next summer – City have already ensured they will avoid a mistake made in another area of their squad.
After City sealed an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title back in 2024, their midfield was in obvious need of a refresh. By the time the 2024/25 season kicked off, Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne were all the ‘wrong’ side of 30, yet instead of looking to bring down the average age of their midfield options, City did the opposite.
Ilkay Gundogan returned from his stint with Barcelona, and City’s ageing midfield simply couldn’t go again. The defence of their title was realistically over by Christmas.
City are one of the best clubs around when it comes to being proactive rather than reactive in the market, yet they were left playing catch-up in midfield. The mid-season signing of 23-year-old Nico Gonzalez came too late and City were left scrapping for a place in the top four.
Re-signing 22-year-old Trafford for an outlay of just £13m is a brilliant move that should set City up for next season and beyond.
Lessons have been learnt.
