“Silly behaviour”: Newcastle, Aston Villa sent clear James Trafford transfer message amid Man City uncertainty

James Trafford has “zero chance” of leaving Manchester City during the January transfer window, Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole.

The 23-year-old academy graduate was re-signed by Man City from Burnley for a reported £27m in the summer and he started in each of the club’s opening three Premier League games this season, ahead of Ederson who later secured a move to Fenerbahce.

However, Trafford is now playing second fiddle to fellow new recruit Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was quickly installed as Man City’s first-choice shot-stopper following his deadline-day transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.

Donnarumma, who won the 2025 Yashin Trophy for a second time, has been handed eight successive Premier League starts and four more in the Champions League since moving to the Etihad Stadium, while Trafford has been reduced to just two EFL Cup appearances against lower-league opposition.

At a time when Trafford is keen to play regularly in order to force his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for next summer’s World Cup, rumours have been circulating that clubs, including Newcastle United and Aston Villa, are interested in signing Trafford, who is 'increasingly likely' to leave in January.

Newcastle, Aston Villa-linked Trafford set to stay at Man City in January?

However, McInerney has shut down those suggestions and cannot envisage Pep Guardiola’s side sanctioning Trafford’s departure midway through the season, either on loan or on a permanent basis.

McInerney rates Trafford highly and believes that he is still well-placed to represent England in the near future, even though there is a “real strong chance” that he faces a lengthy spell on the substitutes’ bench at Man City.

“For me, he's not going anywhere. I think there's zero chance,” McInerney told Sports Mole. “I don't think City would sanction [a January exit] at all.

“I actually feel Trafford expected to come in this season and probably be on the bench, but I think he expected to be behind Ederson. I think there was rumours that Ederson might stay and Trafford would essentially be auditioning for the role next season.

“I think the difference here, of course, is we have signed Gianluigi Donnarumma who's 26 years old. There's a very big difference between playing second fiddle to Donnarumma, who's just signed, than there is to Ederson who was likely to leave anyway.

“I think Trafford will probably be thinking about his future, certainly. Why wouldn't he? He's an absurdly talented young goalkeeper for his age. I highly, highly rate James Trafford. I've been certain since I first saw him at 16 years old that he was going to be England’s No.1 one day, and even City’s No.1. He has the quality.

“A real strong chance Trafford sits on the bench an awful lot”

“I think James Trafford is brilliant, and I do think he should be playing for England. I don't think it’s doing him any harm right now learning from one of the greatest in the world in Donnarumma, but the quality he's got and the age he's at right now, he'll want to be playing in the Premier League regularly as a number one.

“I think he might have to swallow this pill right now because I think City probably made it clear that there's a good chance he was going to come in to compete with someone. Even if it was Ederson here, Ederson would probably still be number one because Guardiola trusted him and his experience and so on.

“Trafford probably felt that he could work his way into the team if it was Ederson, and then the next season would definitely be number one when Ederson moved on. So, I think there's some expectation there of that, but I think there's a real, real strong chance he sits on the bench an awful lot this season with Donnarumma there. That is life at a club of the size of Manchester City.”

McInerney added: “Chelsea is a good example years ago when they had Petr Cech, and Thibaut Courtois had to move to get some game time. He, if anything, has probably gone past Cech's legacy. A phenomenal goalkeeper and one of the greatest of all time. [Trafford] could be very similar.

“You've got Donnarumma and Trafford here, and we could be looking at a man in 15 years where we could say Trafford is one of the greatest to have done it. He might be, I don't know, but he has the quality to be absolutely brilliant.”

“It'd be silly behaviour” from Man City to let Trafford leave in January

McInerney has acknowledged that Man City may reconsider Trafford’s future in the summer if his game time does not increase and the player himself decides to seek pastures new, but he feels that a January exit in more likely for Stefan Ortega who has fallen down the pecking order his term.

“I'm sure he would probably take a chance to have some game time if he got offered it somehow, but I think City will make it very clear [to Trafford] that we've got priorities and we rely on you and we need you. You signed this contract knowing that it was a good chance there's going to be a lot of competition and you could be sat on the bench,” said McInerney.

“I think they will reconsider in the summer if it comes to it, but right now, I think City will tell you he's locked in for the season, because you might need him in the Champions League final, you never know how it's going to go.

“I think Trafford would be silly, in my opinion, to walk away from that as well right now. I know the World Cup is huge, but Trafford is very young and he's a goalkeeper. Goalkeepers can play at the World Cup at 40 years old. Ask [Gianluigi] Buffon, I'm sure Donnarumma will be able to tell a tale of some longevity there. It's a shame if he doesn't make [the World Cup], but I think he will. Something tells me that he might just do enough.

“[I’m] very confident [Trafford stays in January], I don't think City will sanction a move, I think it'd be silly behaviour actually. Ortega's been sort of frozen out, I'd expect Ortega to leave in January. I think he'll get a move somewhere.

“[Marcus] Bettinelli has not even touched the pitch for City and probably won't ever, if I'm being honest, unless there's severe issues. I think Trafford understands the assignment here. He can't leave mid-season, City need him.”

> Click this link to view and listen to the full discussion