- James Trafford could leave Man City this summer
- Premier League rivals remain strongly interested in the goalkeeper
- Regular first-team football appears to be his priority
James Trafford could leave Manchester City this summer, with Premier League rivals keen on signing the goalkeeper.
Following his pivotal role in Manchester City’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal a win that secured the club’s first silverware of the season James Trafford earned his senior England debut this week.
Despite making a significant contribution this season, Trafford has found regular minutes hard to come by at the Etihad.
After signing for City last summer, the goalkeeper was expecting to make regular starts for his boyhood club.
However, Donnarumma’s arrival pushed him down the pecking order, which might lead Trafford to leave the club for a second time this summer.
Newcastle United ‘frontrunners’ to sign James Trafford
The goalkeeper has attracted interest from multiple Premier League clubs, including Big Six rivals Tottenham Hotspur. However, Newcastle remain his biggest admirers.
Football Insider 247 transfer correspondent Peter O’Rourke reported that he is certain of the Magpies’ continued interest in Trafford.
“They came very, very close to signing him last summer. It looked like he was going to make that move only for Man City to steal in and lure him back to the Etihad Stadium”
“I’m sure Newcastle have continued to keep tabs on Trafford…they’ll be looking at him as a potential new signing.”
“If Trafford wants to leave City in the summer in search of regular first-team football, there’ll be a number of Premier League clubs who’ll be interested in the England goalkeeper”, Peter said.
James Trafford’s Man City exit could trigger a depth problem
Manchester City won’t let Trafford leave for a low price tag. However, despite the money running in, Pep Guardiola will lose depth in the back.
The 23-year-old has kept six clean sheets across 1,170 minutes for City. Pep also went on to sell Stefan Ortega to Nottingham Forest at the start of 2026.
On the other hand, 33-year-old Marcus Bettinelli only has seven Premier League appearances to his name. If Trafford decides to leave, the club will have to find a more experienced backup to replace their academy graduate.
