Manchester City will not sanction a loan exit for 22-year-old English goalkeeper James Trafford in the winter transfer window.
According to a report by Football Insider, James Trafford will have to continue biding his time at Manchester City as the season progresses. The English shot-stopper has become the backup goalkeeper for the Citizens after Gianluigi Donnarumma arrived at the Etihad from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day of the summer transfer window.
However, while reports suggested that Manchester City may sanction a loan exit for the Englishman, that is not the Premier League club’s stance. Instead, they will keep Trafford at the Etihad beyond the winter transfer window and until the end of the 2025/26 season.
James Trafford and his situation
James Trafford has established himself as one of the best young goalkeepers in the world over the last 12 months. The 22-year-old landed on his feet after joining Burnley from Manchester City in July 2023. While the youngster endured a challenging campaign in his debut season with the Clarets, he was exceptional last term and produced record-breaking numbers.
The English goalkeeper kept 29 clean sheets in 45 EFL Championship appearances while conceding only 16 goals in the 2024/25 season, helping the Clarets secure Premier League promotion. So, Trafford’s stock has soared, and Manchester City re-signed him from Burnley in the summer transfer window. However, the situation has changed since then.
What next?
While James Trafford was inconsistent in his first few appearances for Manchester City, he showed enough promise to earn a long rope from Pep Guardiola. However, the situation has completely flipped, as Manchester City signed Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day of the summer transfer window.
While Ederson Moraes joined Fenerbahce in the summer transfer window, Donnarumma has immediately become the first-choice goalkeeper for Manchester City. So, sanctioning a loan exit for Trafford would have made sense, as Stefan Ortega is still at the Premier League club. However, that is not an option for Manchester City.
While embarking on a loan spell away from Manchester City will help Trafford achieve his World Cup dream, Manchester City will not accept that. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the 22-year-old English shot-stopper, who will struggle for game time this season.
