James Trafford asking price revealed as Manchester City prepare for summer exit | OneFootball

Manchester City have placed a £35-40 million price tag on goalkeeper James Trafford as they prepare for his departure in the upcoming transfer window, as per a new report.

The 23-year-old is set to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer after reports from club insiders this week indicated Trafford is almost certain to depart, with Manchester City accepting that Trafford’s desire for regular first-team football cannot be accommodated while Gianluigi Donnarumma remains the undisputed number one between the sticks.

Trafford returned to his boyhood club from Burnley for £27 million last summer, having initially been led to believe he would be competing for the number one shirt.

Pep Guardiola had repeatedly praised Trafford as an “unbelievable keeper” with an “incredible future” and publicly pleaded for him to stay at the club long-term – but an amicable parting of ways this summer is now widely accepted by all parties.

Report: City set £35-40M valuation for Trafford

Trafford openly aired his frustrations over a lack of minutes following City’s 2-0 FA Cup win over Salford City in January, with the Carlisle-born star making clear that a resolution on his future was required as the season drew to a close.

According to Mail Sport, City have set a £35-40 million asking price for Trafford as they look to command a significant fee for a goalkeeper widely regarded as one of the best backup stoppers in the Premier League.

The valuation represents a notable premium on the £27 million City paid to re-sign the England international from Burnley last summer, though it reflects Trafford’s continued development and the considerable interest his availability has already generated among the country’s top clubs.

Newcastle United remain the frontrunners to sign Trafford, with manager Eddie Howe a long-standing admirer who came close to landing the goalkeeper before he opted to return to City last summer.

Aston Villa and Tottenham have also been identified as interested parties, with Spurs eyeing Trafford as a potential successor to Guglielmo Vicario should the Italian depart north London this summer.

What does Trafford’s exit mean for City?

Trafford’s departure will leave director of football Hugo Viana with a significant vacancy in the goalkeeping department behind Donnarumma, with City requiring a dependable backup as part of a summer window already shaping up to be one of the most significant in recent memory at the Etihad Stadium.

A fee in the region of £35-40 million would represent a healthy return on City’s initial £27 million outlay and help fund further recruitment activity as Viana continues his wide-ranging rebuild of Guardiola’s squad.

The Blues are simultaneously pursuing Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest and managing uncertainty over Rodri‘s contract situation, making Trafford’s sale a potentially important source of incoming revenue.

For Trafford himself, a move away represents the ideal opportunity to establish himself as a starting goalkeeper at a major Premier League club and press his claim for a place in Thomas Tuchel‘s England squad.

His penalty save from Mohamed Salah in City’s 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final win over Liverpool last weekend was a timely reminder of his quality – and a performance likely to have attracted further admiring glances from clubs monitoring his availability ahead of the summer.