Aston Villa in pole position to sign unhappy Manchester City star | OneFootball

Aston Villa may no longer be the favourites to sign Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford this summer as Tottenham are reportedly accelerating plans to land the English shot-stopper.

Villa had at one point looked like being Trafford’s preferred option due to their position in the race to qualify for the Champions League, but that now seems in growing doubt after a poor run of just one win from five in the Premier League.

According to TEAMtalk, it also seems that Trafford is open to the likes of Newcastle United anyway, while Spurs are described as accelerating their plans to snap up the 23-year-old.

It seems clear that Trafford will have plenty of options available to him if he does leave Man City this summer, having struggled for playing time since his move to the Etihad Stadium from Burnley just a few months ago.

Man City goalkeeper James Trafford in action (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Where should James Trafford go next after disappointing Manchester City spell?

Trafford makes sense as a long-term replacement for Emiliano Martinez at Villa Park, and if he could guarantee himself the number one spot for a Champions League club then he’ll have done very well despite the disappointment of spending so much of this season on the City bench.

Newcastle could also be an exciting project for Trafford, who would likely have little trouble establishing himself as Eddie Howe’s first choice as the club look in need of a long-term successor to the ageing Nick Pope, while Aaron Ramsdale is only at St James’ Park on loan for this season.

Elsewhere, Tottenham could also be a decent option for Trafford to consider as they’d likely make him their new number one over Guglielmo Vicario, though we’ll have to wait and see if the north Londoners can survive relegation this season.

Trafford initially looked like an exciting signing for City but the surprise availability of Gianluigi Donnarumma last summer has clearly had a major effect on how his time with Pep Guardiola’s side has played out.