Sport
A return to Manchester City last summer seemed like a bold move for James Trafford, but increasingly it appears it might have been the wrong one, something he himself seemed to acknowledge this past weekend.
After rejoining City for their FA Cup fourth round victory over Salford City, the 23-year-old confessed he hadn’t anticipated Gianluigi Donnarumma’s arrival, which subsequently pushed him further down the lineup.
“Yeah, it’s [being back in the team] been good,” he remarked. “I didn’t foresee the situation with Donnarumma, but it happened, so just have to accept it. It happened, so I work very hard every day and see what happens, giving it my best shot.”
While Trafford was never explicitly promised the starting spot by Pep Guardiola, Ederson’s departure to Galatasaray certainly suggested as much. Donnarumma became an accessible option for £26m with his PSG contract nearing its end, prompting a swift move to bring him to the Etihad.
Having started the season, Trafford, despite a few errors, was quickly sidelined by Donnarumma, who later was named FIFA’s best goalkeeper for 2025, following PSG’s treble-winning season.
“It is what it is,” he continued. “It’s football, you have to keep working hard every day and whenever games come, play as hard as you can. This is just another experience to add to my career, and it has been a good learning experience.”
“Obviously everyone knows what’s happening with me,” he mentioned. “I just have to play as well as I can whenever I’m on the field. I haven’t had discussions with them about whether it’s enough, but I train hard every day and it’s on me.”
There are clearly two sides to this story, with valid arguments on both. Though not seeking it, some believe Trafford deserves sympathy for being caught unawares, while others, as he notes, point out that competition for spots is simply part of the game.
This decision to replace him is also part of a more intriguing development in Pep Guardiola’s tactical approach. In modern football, no one has had as much cultural impact in terms of style as Guardiola, with critics arguing he has had a negative effect on the game by promoting playing out from the back among goalkeepers.
While Trafford’s primary focus of keeping the ball from the net improved in the Championship with Burnley last season, where he kept 30 clean sheets, he is mostly renowned for his ball-playing ability. This was also why Ederson was brought in back in 2017, leading to Joe Hart’s unceremonious exit due to a lack of skills in this area. From this perspective, Trafford seemed like a natural progression.
There were numerous reports indicating PSG no longer desired Donnarumma due to his struggles with ball-playing. Acquiring Lucas Chevalier from Lille seemed to support this. Despite the Italian’s overall abilities, his challenges in this area made his link-up with Guardiola particularly striking.
The opportunity to sign Donnarumma might have been irresistible, but it coincided with City adopting a more direct approach to optimize Erling Haaland’s strengths. Guardiola has evolved significantly, altering his core principles.
Trafford’s move felt like a leap of faith for City. It was a considerable step up for him to become the number one at a Premier League title contender, having just established himself at Burnley. He also turned down a long-anticipated move to Newcastle to return home. Eddie Howe has been in search of a ball-playing goalkeeper to replace Nick Pope, and Trafford has been his top target. Perhaps his recent comments reflect hindsight on his choice.
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