Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford has admitted to being blindsided by the club’s decision to sign Italian international Gianluigi Donnarumma, a move that has effectively frozen the young Englishman out of the Premier League starting line-up. After returning to the Etihad Stadium with high expectations last summer, Trafford now faces a pivotal summer transfer window that could see him leave his boyhood club in search of regular first-team football.
A Tale of Two Transfers
Trafford’s return to Manchester City on 31 July was heralded as a significant homecoming. Following a successful two-year stint at Burnley, City triggered a deal worth £31 million to bring the academy graduate back to Manchester. At the time, with Trafford starting the first three matches of the season, it appeared he was destined to be Pep Guardiola’s long-term successor to Ederson.
However, the landscape shifted dramatically on 2 September when Guardiola moved for PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite the Italian being signed for a lower fee than Trafford, he was immediately installed as the club’s primary choice between the sticks.
| Player | Transfer Date | Fee | Previous Club | Primary Role |
| James Trafford | 31 July | £31m | Burnley | Cup Specialist / Deputy |
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | 2 September | £26m | Paris Saint-Germain | First Choice (Premier League) |
“I Didn’t Expect This”
Speaking after City’s 2-0 FA Cup victory over Salford, Trafford was candid about the emotional and professional toll of the past few months. “I didn’t expect the situation [with Donnarumma] to happen, but it did,” Trafford remarked. “In football, you’ve just got to get on with it. I work very hard every day and give it my best shot.”
The 23-year-old clarified that while he was never explicitly promised the ‘Number 1’ shirt, the late arrival of the Euro 2020 winner was a shock. “It is what it is. You’ve got to keep grafting. This is another experience to add to my career—a learning curve, if you will.”
The International Dilemma
Trafford’s lack of domestic minutes is also casting a shadow over his international aspirations. Although he was called into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad in November following an injury to Nick Pope, his seat on the plane for the 2026 World Cup remains precarious.
Trafford confirmed he has had no direct dialogue with Tuchel regarding his selection prospects. “Everyone knows my situation,” he said. “I haven’t spoken to the England camp about whether playing cup games is enough. I just have to play as well as I can when given the chance.”
Potential Summer Departure
Despite being under a lucrative five-year contract, Trafford refused to rule out a move away this summer. With his development stalling on the bench, several Premier League and European clubs are reportedly monitoring the situation. For a player who joined City at the age of 12, the prospect of a permanent exit is daunting but perhaps necessary to reignite a career that was, until recently, on a steep upward trajectory.