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James Trafford Joins Leeds in Club-Record £40m Man City Deal

Published 04:02 7 Aug 2026 BST

Updated 01:09 7 Aug 2026 BST

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James Trafford Joins Leeds in Club-Record £40m Man City Deal

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James Trafford Joins Leeds in Club-Record £40m Man City Deal

Leeds United have signed England goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City in a club-record deal worth an initial £40m, rising to around £45m with add-ons. The 23-year-old leaves the Etihad just a year after rejoining from Burnley in a £27m switch last summer.

It is comfortably the largest fee Leeds have ever paid and makes Trafford one of the most expensive English goalkeepers in history, though it stays below the British-record fees Chelsea and Liverpool paid for Kepa Arrizabalaga and Alisson respectively. His exit follows the September arrival of Champions League-winning keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, which ended his hopes of becoming City's first choice. The switch adds to a hectic window fans have tracked through the summer transfer window rumour mill.

What James Trafford Brings to Leeds

Trafford made 17 appearances for City last season, four of them in the Premier League, and played a significant part in their Carabao Cup and FA Cup triumphs. He was named in England's World Cup squad this summer but did not feature. Leeds will hope he rediscovers the form that made him one of the country's brightest Premier League goalkeepers.

The signing was confirmed by BBC Sport, which reported the deal could rise to £45m with add-ons. It caps a landmark transfer for a keeper still only 23.