Man City overcome Newcastle for James Trafford.

Manchester City have successfully signed Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, beating Newcastle United in the race for his services. As reported by the Guardian, Trafford is set to rejoin the City squad after they overcame the Magpies in the transfer battle. Although Newcastle had already agreed on personal terms with the young goalkeeper, Manchester City managed to secure the deal.

Trafford was part of Manchester City's youth system in the past.

He made his way to the first team in the summer of 2023 following some strong performances on loan, but he left the club before making his senior debut. The 22-year-old joined Burnley for £14 million.

His first season at Burnley didn’t go as smoothly as expected, as he struggled to keep the team in the Premier League.

However, Trafford bounced back strongly in his recent spell, helping Burnley return to the top flight immediately. He made 45 appearances and only let in 16 goals, keeping 29 clean sheets in the process.

His impressive form has made him a regular in the England national team setup.

Even though he hasn’t made his debut yet, Trafford has made significant progress since joining Burnley. His performances have caught the attention of several top clubs.

Newcastle has been interested in signing the 22-year-old goalkeeper for almost two years. They are searching for a reliable long-term number one and believe Trafford is the perfect fit for their plans.

Although Newcastle successfully convinced Trafford to join them at St James’ Park, Manchester City has taken control of the transfer.

This is due to a matching rights clause included when Trafford originally moved to Turf Moor. The transfer was supposed to be worth £27 million, but now Trafford will return to City instead.

Trafford is set to sign a five-year contract with City and will be competing with Ederson and Stefan Ortega for a starting spot.

Both Ederson and Ortega have been under pressure all season, and it’s likely one or both could leave the club once Trafford returns.