Manchester City are reported to be closing in on the signing of English goalkeeper James Trafford.
Trafford would arrive from Premier League newcomers Burnley, who signed the goalkeeper themselves from Manchester City in 2023.
This move further signals the start of a new era for Pep Guardiola, who, along with Hugo Viana, has conducted a genuine squad overhaul over the last year.
Trafford thrived in the EFL Championship and gained constant plaudits after a record-breaking season as the Clarets number one.
However, is the 22-year-old Northerner ready to take over from Man City cult-hero Ederson, or is the move slightly premature from the former champions?
This article will conduct a thorough player analysis and scout report on James Trafford, analysing his strengths and areas for improvement to perform at the top level.
We will consider how James Trafford style of play may differ from Ederson and what new attributes he may bring to the club.
James Trafford Style Of Play
James Trafford is 65 in height but has a relatively lean build for a goalkeeper.
He is impressive physically, offering the dominance expected at his height, while also possessing great flexibility and athleticism that enable his shot-stopping.
He has developed his physical side of his game, in particular, through loan spells at Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers in the EFL, where strong duels and aerial battles are regular challenges.
Overall, he should be desired as a modern keeper, as he is very comfortable with the ball at his feet.
This could largely be attributed to his time at the youth level, where he featured for both England youth and Manchester Citys elite academy.
Both of these set-ups are heavily focused on possession-based football and demand that it start from the back with the goalkeepers.
James Trafford Stats 2024/2025
James Traffords 2024/2025 season was truly special and will stand out as an all-timer defensive season, particularly in the EFL.
Just how good is James Trafford?
Burnley went through all 46 games, conceding just 16 goals.
This is a ridiculous 0.35 goals per game.
During this period, they collected 30 clean sheets and went 12 games without conceding a single goal from December 2024 to March 2025.
In the history of English football, only Manchester United have bettered this.
Trafford conceded 16 goals from 28.6 xG, making these numbers even more outstanding, as they overperformed by over 12 goals.
Great defensive statistics are usually expected of low-block teams, which, impressively again, Burnley did not.
Burnley averaged 56.9% possession and were the second-highest goal scorers in the league after Leeds United.
Therefore, they conceded chances, and Trafford was a massive contributor, if not the main one, to their incredible season at the back.
James Trafford Pizza Chart 2024/2025
Above, we have a pizza chart highlighting James Traffords performance for Burnley in the 2024/2025 season in several key metrics, when compared with other stoppers from the EFL Championship and similarly ranked leagues, in terms of level, according to Total Football Analysis in-house league-ranking system.
The GK metrics immediately stand out, placing James Trafford head and shoulders above his peers.
In the same vein, Traffords dis
