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Leeds have confirmed the signing of James Trafford from Manchester City for an undisclosed club record fee, reported to be £40 million ($53.8 million) plus bonuses.
Trafford has agreed a five-year contract, while the deal eclipses the £36 million Leeds paid Hoffenheim for Georginio Rutter in January 2023 and also makes him the world’s fourth most expensive goalkeeper.
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea for £72 million), Alisson Becker (Roma to Liverpool, £67 million) and Andre Onana (Inter Milan to Manchester United, £47.2 million) are the only keepers to have cost more.
“Leeds United are delighted to confirm the signing of James Trafford,” the club said in a statement.
“The 23-year-old England international arrives as our third permanent addition of the summer transfer window, after the acquisitions of Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic, and becomes the most expensive British goalkeeper in history.”
Leeds had made a new goalkeeper a top priority after the summer departures of Karl Darlow and Illan Meslier to Manchester United and Arsenal respectively.
Fellow goalkeeper Lucas Perri has been linked with a move to Torino, having only signed for Leeds last summer for £15.6 million from Lyon, while Alex Cairns is also in Daniel Farke’s first-team squad.
Trafford was behind Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma in City’s pecking order last season, making 17 appearances in all competitions and starting in every FA Cup and Carabao Cup match as they lifted both trophies.
Having progressed through City’s academy, Trafford did not make a first-team appearance in his first spell at the club and had loan stints at Accrington and Bolton before joining Burnley for £19 million in 2023.
He made 73 appearances in total for the Clarets and after keeping an English Football League record of 29 clean sheets during the 2023-24 season, he rejoined City last summer for £27 million.
Trafford made his senior England debut in a 1-1 draw against Uruguay in a Wembley friendly in March and won his second cap as a substitute in a 1-0 World Cup warm-up win against New Zealand in June.
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Trafford has agreed a five-year contract, while the deal eclipses the £36 million Leeds paid Hoffenheim for Georginio Rutter in January 2023 and also makes him the world’s fourth most expensive goalkeeper.
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea for £72 million), Alisson Becker (Roma to Liverpool, £67 million) and Andre Onana (Inter Milan to Manchester United, £47.2 million) are the only keepers to have cost more.
“Leeds United are delighted to confirm the signing of James Trafford,” the club said in a statement.
“The 23-year-old England international arrives as our third permanent addition of the summer transfer window, after the acquisitions of Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic, and becomes the most expensive British goalkeeper in history.”
Leeds had made a new goalkeeper a top priority after the summer departures of Karl Darlow and Illan Meslier to Manchester United and Arsenal respectively.
Fellow goalkeeper Lucas Perri has been linked with a move to Torino, having only signed for Leeds last summer for £15.6 million from Lyon, while Alex Cairns is also in Daniel Farke’s first-team squad.
Trafford was behind Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma in City’s pecking order last season, making 17 appearances in all competitions and starting in every FA Cup and Carabao Cup match as they lifted both trophies.
Having progressed through City’s academy, Trafford did not make a first-team appearance in his first spell at the club and had loan stints at Accrington and Bolton before joining Burnley for £19 million in 2023.
He made 73 appearances in total for the Clarets and after keeping an English Football League record of 29 clean sheets during the 2023-24 season, he rejoined City last summer for £27 million.
Trafford made his senior England debut in a 1-1 draw against Uruguay in a Wembley friendly in March and won his second cap as a substitute in a 1-0 World Cup warm-up win against New Zealand in June.
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