Man City have a new goalkeeper.

Manchester City activated the buy-back clause for James Trafford from Burnley for a transfer fee of £27 million.

James Trafford is scheduled to undergo a medical examination at Manchester City.

The Guardian reports that James Trafford will undergo a medical at Manchester City early this week before signing a five-year contract. Trafford, 22, left Manchester City to join Burnley in 2023 for £14 million, and is now returning to the Etihad Stadium club thanks to a buy-back clause.

When Burnley were promoted to the Premier League last season, Trafford impressed with 29 clean sheets. The goalkeeper's performance impressed many Premier League clubs. Newcastle United made a £27 million offer, but Manchester City activated the buy-back clause for Trafford from Burnley just an hour before it expired.

If all goes well, Trafford could feature in Manchester City's only pre-season friendly against Palermo on August 9th, before the team kicks off their Premier League campaign against Wolves a week later.

Ederson's return to Trafford is expected to create competition for the goalkeeping position at Etihad, especially as Ederson has shown signs of declining form and his contract is nearing its end. According to The Times , manager Pep Guardiola and the Manchester City board want Ederson to continue his association with the Etihad Stadium team for the 2025/26 season.

The 31-year-old goalkeeper has only one year left on his contract with Man City, but Pep believes that if he leaves now, the club's defense will be unable to find a worthy replacement. Man City's leadership still values ​​Ederson's experience and influence above short-term financial benefits, even if they risk losing the player without receiving a transfer fee in the summer of 2026.

Source: https://znews.vn/man-city-co-thu-mon-moi-post1572258.html