Leeds United announced, through an official statement, that it had signed English goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City, with a contract extending until the summer of 2031, in a deal worth 45 million pounds sterling, making it the most expensive in the club’s history.
With this deal, Trafford became the most expensive British goalkeeper in the history of football, and is Leeds’ third permanent signing during the summer transfer market, after the inclusion of Harry Wilson and Taric. Muharimovic.
The English goalkeeper is 23 years old, and he participated with Manchester City in 17 matches last season in various competitions, including matches in the English Premier League and the Champions League. He was also part of the England national team’s roster to participate in the 2026 World Cup, after a distinguished career with the junior national teams.
Trafford began his football career in the Manchester City Academy, before gaining important experience through two loan periods. With Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers, where he excelled remarkably and was named to the Team of the Season in the First Division, which paved the way for his move to Burnley.
During the 2024-2025 season in the English First Division, he performed at exceptional levels, after setting a record by keeping a clean sheet in 12 consecutive matches, and contributed to his team conceding only 16 goals in 46 matches, which is the lowest number of goals in the history of the competition. To lead Burnley to promotion to the Premier League, he was crowned with the Golden Glove Award and the Best Player in the Championship award from the Professional Players Association.
After his return to Manchester City, the young goalkeeper continued to provide strong performances, as he won the award for the best save in the English Premier League during the month of August, and also came away with a clean sheet in the League Cup final against Arsenal, and contributed to his team winning the FA Cup after participating as a starter in the final match against Arsenal. Chelsea.
At the international level, Trafford wrote his name in the history of the England U-21 team, after he became the first goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in six matches during the European Championship, and he also saved a decisive penalty kick in the tournament final against Spain, to contribute to his country’s national team winning the title, before he now begins a new chapter in his career with a Leeds United shirt.