James Trafford state of play as Man City and Newcastle United battle for Burnley goalkeeper
Reports are circulating that James Trafford is edging closer to a move back to Manchester City.
The 22-year-old has been the subject of intense speculation this summer, with Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United retaining their strong interest from 12 months ago.
The saga has dragged on, however, and his former club City now appear to have stolen a march over their Premier League rivals.
Multiple sources are now reporting that Pep Guardiola’s side have agreed a deal to re-sign their former goalkeeper. It’s claimed a fee has been agreed, with medical tests scheduled to take place next week.
The suggestion is the England Under-21 international will battle it out with Ederson for the number one spot, with Stefan Ortega the more likely to move on.
Multiple reports state City have a buy-back clause for Trafford following his 2023 departure and also matching rights, allowing them to match any offer from another club.
As it currently stands, the Burnley Express understands the club hasn’t received any confirmation of Trafford going anywhere as of yet. As far as the Clarets are concerned, the goalkeeper is still deciding between Man City and Newcastle and negotiating personal terms.
Either way, it looks as though the protracted saga is coming to a conclusion and the Clarets can finally begin to move on.
Trafford signed for Man City's academy in 2015 but did not make a first-team appearance and spent time on loan at Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers.
After signing for the Clarets, Trafford made 78 appearances over the past two seasons, including 28 in the Premier League in his debut campaign.
The former Man City academy graduate broke all sorts of records last season though as Burnley won automatic promotion from the Championship. The stopper kept 29 of Burnley’s 30 league clean sheets, as Scott Parker’s side shipped just 16 league goals all season.
While it won’t come as a surprise, Trafford’s departure would land another big blow for Parker following last season’s 100-point promotion.
CJ Egan-Riley, another key component of Burnley’s defence, snubbed a new deal at Turf Moor to sign for Marseille on a free transfer, while club captain and 18-goal Josh Brownhill is now a free agent after coming to the end of his contract.