James Trafford has already admitted to wanting to be Manchester City’s number one goalkeeper | OneFootball

Manchester City’s ongoing pursuit of Burnley goalkeeper and Academy graduate James Trafford will only be boosted by the player’s personal Etihad Stadium ambitions.

City’s search for a new long-term goalkeeper has taken on added urgency, as uncertainty surrounds the futures of Ederson and Stefan Ortega Moreno. The former remains a strong candidate for an exit with Galatasaray circling, while Ortega has expressed a desire to become a first-choice goalkeeper elsewhere if opportunities do not increase at the Etihad Stadium.

Trafford, now 22, has been viewed by decision-makers at Manchester City as a natural long-term option ever since he rose through the Academy ranks with standout performances during his time in the EDS and England youth levels.

His breakthrough at Bolton Wanderers in League One only strengthened that belief, and while his move to Burnley in 2023 was necessary for senior minutes, the Premier League giants maintained a buy-back clause with one eye on a potential return.

The goalkeeper’s profile also matches the stylistic and technical demands City place on their No.1. Trafford’s comfort on the ball, bravery in distribution, and willingness to play high off his line make him a strong tactical fit under Pep Guardiola, who has consistently demanded goalkeepers act as an auxiliary centre-back in possession.

Over the course of the last four years, James Trafford himself has spoken on multiple occasions about his personal belief of reaching the status of a Manchester City first-team goalkeeper, following loan spells at Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers.

Speaking to Goal in 2021, Trafford said of his development within the City Academy, “What’s the point in being at a club where you don’t see yourself being number one? I’m not really bothered about money – if I didn’t see myself becoming City’s number one, I wouldn’t be here.”

During a conversation with BBC Radio Manchester in 2022, James Trafford also said, “I believe I will be Manchester City number one, one day. The more experience I get with the ball at my feet at Bolton, playing a similar way to how I’ll play one day at City, it’s better for my experience rather than other clubs in League One and elsewhere.”

He added, “A lot of clubs play really direct which I don’t see myself doing at Manchester City one day. It suits me more with the ball at my feet, I feel more comfortable playing high – we hold a high line here. I feel the best step in my development.”

Then came the first comments about a potential return to Manchester City and how such a move would look, as the Carlisle-born goalkeeper told The Bolton News in 2022: “I would never go back [to Manchester City] and play U23s. If I was to go back with Manchester City it would be as second choice or to challenge Ederson.

“I wouldn’t want to play that level again, especially now I have got the taste for the environment of men’s football. But it is still February, so there is no rush. Say I did go out on loan again, whether it is back here [Bolton] or elsewhere, clubs aren’t looking at the moment.”

A similar conversation was had once again with The Bolton News in 2023, “When I played at Accrington, I told people I would play for England, play for Manchester City. The people around me believe in me and I still completely believe I will. It is clearer to bystanders now that it is going to happen.”

And speaking via MailSport in the same year, Trafford said: “My long-term goal is playing in the Champions League and for England. If you want to be in the Champions League you’ve got to be in the top four teams in England. Whether it’s Manchester City or any other of the big clubs, I believe I will be at that level.”

Should Manchester City move to activate their buy-back clause on Trafford this summer or manage to secure an agreement below the £40 million term, it would represent both a pragmatic and sentimental step forward.

With Trafford still possessing significant room to grow and the added benefit of homegrown status, the Etihad Stadium hierarchy would be restoring a familiar face already acclimatised to the demands of the club’s culture.

From James Trafford’s side, his comments suggest a clear openness to return – though likely only if a pathway to senior minutes exists. Should Ederson leave in the coming days or weeks and Ortega continue to push for a No.1 role elsewhere, the timing could align perfectly for Trafford to step into a more prominent role.

Much will now depend on how City balance their immediate ambitions with long-term succession planning. But one thing is clear: if Trafford is brought back to the Etihad, he will not settle for a supporting role – his ambition is firmly set on becoming the main man.