Southampton can strike serious transfer gold if Man City agreement is sealed in early 2026 | OneFootball

James Trafford would be a fantastic addition for Southampton as they aim for Premier League promotion.

Alongside Leicester City, Southampton are interested in completing a January deal for Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford.

The young shot stopper made the switch to the Etihad over the summer after a sensational promotion campaign with Burnley.

However, Trafford's minutes have already become limited after Men's Yashin Trophy winner Gianluigi Donnarumma arrived at the club late in the window.

While the opportunity to sign potentially the world's best goalkeeper is something that is impossible to turn down, it has caused Trafford's future to be up in the air just months after rejoining the club.

TeamTalk reports that both Leicester and Southampton are interested in a loan move for Trafford when the transfer window opens in January, with it being believed that the goalkeeper is considering a temporary exit from Man City as he looks to compete for a place in Thomas Tuchel's England side.

James Trafford could be regretting Man City move

The 22-year-old is a graduate of Manchester City's academy, but made a permanent move to Burnley in 2023 after a successful loan spell with Bolton.

After playing a key role in the Clarets' promotion back to the Premier League, Trafford was handed the number one shirt under Pep Guardiola following his £27 million return.

However, the story of competing with Ederson for a place between the posts has since changed, with the opportunity to sign Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain being too good to turn down.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, ex-City goalkeeper Shay Given said: "In a World Cup year, Pep will have given him the full sales pitch saying, 'You are coming in and the number one jersey is yours. You will be playing regularly, challenging for the Premier League and playing Champions League football, and if you play your cards right, you might be playing for England in the World Cup next summer.' - Fast forward two weeks and the big man Donnarumma comes in and he is parked up for the season.

"If it was me, I'd be raging. Raging!"

And it is difficult to imagine a world where Given's take isn't the exact reaction of Trafford, who himself, upon his return, said: "This is the place I call home."

Trafford kept 29 clean sheets across 45 Championship matches and was named Championship Player of the Year at the PFA awards last month.

Throughout the summer, Newcastle were linked with the goalkeeper, with Trafford's future destined to be away from Turf Moor. However, in comparison to competing with an ageing Nick Pope, Trafford is now benched by arguably the best goalkeeper in the world.

Southampton switch benefits all parties - He is a huge statistical upgrade

TeamTalk reports that Southampton are interested in providing a potential loan exit for Trafford, and it could be a switch that benefits all parties tenfold.

At Burnley last season, Trafford was the cornerstone of their promotion-winning side. Alongside his 29 league clean sheets, he posted an 84.6% save percentage and prevented nearly 13 more goals than expected.

Just as important is the style of team he thrived in. Burnley under Scott Parker were pragmatic and disciplined, not too dissimilar to the controlled approach that Will Still is trying to establish at St Mary's.

Saints are dictating matches with an average possession of 61%, but the execution has not matched their control. They have scored just seven goals from an xG of 11.5, and have missed 10 big chances. At the other end, only seven Championship sides have conceded more than their nine goals.

In essence, Saints dominate the ball, but lack real conviction in both boxes. And one of the biggest issues lies between the posts, with Gavin Bazunu facing scrutiny for his form after conceding more goals than he has made saves this season.

In contrast, Trafford has already shown that he is capable of thriving in a controlled system by staying laser-focused and delivering when called upon.

His save percentage last season was almost double that of what Bazunu is putting up thus far, and the underlying numbers all point in the direction of a clear upgrade, with Bazunu's goals prevented stats even being in the negative number range.

If Southampton find themselves with the chance to add a goalkeeper with Trafford's ability and potential to their ranks, it is a no-brainer.

And for Trafford himself, he is unlikely to displace Donnarumma any time soon, and he would claim the Saints' number one spot without any real hassle.

A move back to the Championship would only be temporary, and the door would be opened for a potential permanent move should Southampton go on and achieve promotion this season. Simply, the move benefits all involved, and Southampton could strike transfer gold if the shot stopper arrived on the South Coast.