- Manchester City made six signings in the summer
- Rayan Cherki and Gianluigi Donnarumma were the most high-profile additions
- City should get rid of one of their summer signings already
James Trafford is likely to depart Manchester City at the end of the season, but here is why Pep Guardiola should reconsider his place in the team.
Man City’s standout addition has been Rayan Cherki, whose marked value has doubled since his move to the Etihad Stadium.
As for the other summer recruits, only Gianluigi Donnarumma has cemented his status as a starter for Pep Guardiola’s side while Bettinelli was signed as a third-choice goalkeeper.
Donnarumma’s clanger against Arsenal has meant he has been in the headlines recently and there has been plenty of debate about whether the Italian should remain Manchester City’s number one.
On one hand, the £26 million man has come up clutch for City on several instances this campaign. Donnarumma’s last-gasp save at Anfield to preserve Manchester City’s 2-1 lead sums up how much of a match-winning goalkeeper the 27-year-old can be at his absolute best.
Gianluigi Donnarumma does not fit Man City’s style of play
Other standout showings that spring to mind include Donnarumma’s extraordinary display in the Manchester Derby when City lost 2-0 or when he kept Igor Thiago at bay in the Sky Blues’ 1-0 win against Brentford.
Despite Pep Guardiola’s staunch defence of Donnarumma recently after he erred against Arsenal, it is difficult not to question why City should keep him in the long run.
While the treble-winner is an elite shotstopper, he fundamentally does not fit into Guardiola’s age-old philosophy of playing out from the back due to being uncomfortable in possession. Pep Guardiola’s sides throughout his career have laid emphasis on having technicians at their disposal across the squad.
Donnarumma’s short passing is at a serviceable standard but throughout the season, he has struggled to distribute the ball at a high standard, bait the opposition press before breaking the lines or find the free man.
The former Paris Saint-Germain stalwart’s deficiencies on the ball are not due to a lack of effort but because he has largely operated as an orthodox goalkeeper. Against Arsenal, Donnarumma took his time in possession to bait Kai Havertz into pressing him but ultimately, got pressed and conceded a poor goal.
Luis Enrique explains why Gianluigi Donnarumma was excluded from PSG’s squad ahead of the UEFA Super Cup 👀 pic.twitter.com/rySiQxztQO
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 12, 2025
While Donnarumma revealed Pep Guardiola is helping him to adapt to City’s style of play, it is telling that despite winning a treble alongside him, Luis Enrique claimed he wanted a “different type of goalkeeper” at PSG.
Gianluigi Donnarumma has flaws as a traditional goalkeeper
The counterargument to the Italian skipper’s flaws in possession could be that Donnarumma’s shotstopping is world-class and superior to most other players in his position.
However, it is key to note that whether it is at PSG or at Manchester City now, Donnarumma has several flaws as traditional goalkeeper as well.
Firstly, the Manchester City star is a weak link from set-pieces and has made a few errors in such situations, notably against West Ham United and AFC Bournemouth earlier this campaign.
Donnarumma’s fundamental weaknesses while manning the net during set-pieces are that he seems too forthright in his approach to prevent a goal and also has a tendency of mostly punching the ball away.
Samuel Chukwueze’s second goal in Fulham’s 5-4 defeat against Manchester City was borne out of Donnarumma’s tendency not to claim crosses and instead just punch them away into dangerous areas.
With the AC Milan academy graduate also making a fair few errors this campaign such as against Arsenal, Real Madrid, West Ham and Leeds among other sides, even as a shotstopper, he is far from flawless.
Donnarumma’s sweeping can be called into question as unlike other elite goalkeepers in the world such as Thibaut Courtois and David Raya, he barely vacates his box.
Man City should keep James Trafford and sell Gianluigi Donnarumma
Realistically, Manchester City will persist with the European Championship winner as he was one of their marquee summer signings.
But considering James Trafford wishes to leave Manchester City but possesses most of the traits of a top-class modern-day goalkeeper, the club should ask him to be their long-term number one.
Aside from his infamous error in City’s 1-0 loss against Tottenham this season, the Englishman has impressed for the most part in terms of saving shots, commanding his box and in possession.
Clubs across Europe seem to be rate him highly, with Juventus targeting Trafford as he has looked the part against top sides like Arsenal and Newcastle United this campaign.
With the former Burnley goalkeeper aged just 23, he will only get better and better over time and is worth investing into for the long haul by City as he fits their system far more than Donnarumma.
