Leeds United are in talks with Manchester City to sign goalkeeper James Trafford, with the player having already given his personal go-ahead for a move to Elland Road (BBC Sport; Leeds Live).

The 23-year-old England international spent last season at City, where he made 17 appearances and collected winners' medals in both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. But only four of those outings came in the Premier League, and the arrival of Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain in September 2025 squeezed his opportunities further (BBC Sport).

Trafford's journey back to this point is a winding one. He started his career at City, took in loan spells at Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers, then left for Burnley in 2023. He made 73 appearances for Burnley before City activated a buy-back clause to re-sign him for £27m plus add-ons in July 2025 (Reuters). He signed a five-year deal. A year on, he could be on the move again.

City would reportedly prefer to loan Trafford out rather than sell, though the talks with Leeds are understood to be about a permanent transfer (BBC Sport). Manager Pep Guardiola left open the possibility of Trafford leaving at the end of last season, back in January (BBC Sport).

For Leeds, the goalkeeper situation is wide open. Illan Meslier and Karl Darlow both departed in summer 2025, leaving Lucas Perri and Alex Cairns as the two senior options on the books. Perri lost his place to Darlow in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign and did not play in the Premier League after a 4-3 defeat to Newcastle on 7 January 2025 (BBC Sport).

Newcastle United and Aston Villa both held an interest in Trafford last summer, though Villa now expect Emi Martinez to stay (BBC Sport). That clears one rival from the picture.

Trafford earned his first senior England cap in a friendly against Uruguay, becoming the first Manchester City goalkeeper to feature for England since 2017 (Manchester City). He was part of England's 2026 World Cup squad but did not see the pitch in the tournament.

What makes this move appealing for Leeds is straightforward. They need a goalkeeper they can build a season around, and Trafford needs regular football at a level that keeps him in the England conversation. He has the pedigree — Champions League squad exposure, domestic trophies, an international cap — but not yet the minutes a 23-year-old goalkeeper requires to kick on. Elland Road, back in the Premier League, offers both the stage and the starting spot.

The two clubs still need to agree a fee. Until they do, this remains a conversation rather than a done deal.