James Trafford has made clear that his priority this summer is to be an undisputed first-choice goalkeeper at his next club, and according to TEAMtalk, he would consider joining Tottenham Hotspur even if they are relegated to the Championship, as long as no more attractive offers are on the table.
Tottenham are now “pushing” to sign the 23-year-old England international this summer, according to TEAMtalk, and regard him as the ideal candidate to replace Guglielmo Vicario, who is expected to depart for Inter Milan. Manchester City are open to selling Trafford just a year after re-signing him from Burnley for £27m, with Gianluigi Donnarumma’s arrival having immediately ended his hopes of becoming first choice at the Etihad.
Why James Trafford Tottenham transfer willingness matters
The revelation changes the dynamic in Tottenham’s favour considerably. Earlier reports had suggested Trafford preferred a move to Aston Villa, and Newcastle United have been tracking him since last summer, coming very close to signing him before City intervened. The fact that he would even entertain the possibility of joining a potential Championship club underlines just how much his priority is guaranteed regular football over the prestige of his next destination.
For James Trafford, the logic is straightforward. He has spent this season as Donnarumma’s understudy, featuring mainly in cup competitions.
He saved a Salah penalty in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Liverpool and made his senior England debut in the most recent international break, which suggests his quality is not in question. What he needs now is consistent top-level exposure, and Tottenham, whatever division they end up in, are offering him the number one shirt unconditionally.
Can Tottenham actually land Trafford?
Embed from Getty ImagesNewcastle remain the frontrunners according to most reports, and Aston Villa have previously been named as Trafford’s preferred destination.
Trafford would “consider” Tottenham in that scenario, not that he would definitely choose them. If Spurs survive and can make a compelling case for De Zerbi’s project, the competition for his signature from Villa and Newcastle makes this genuinely uncertain.
If Spurs go down, the calculus changes and other clubs would almost certainly emerge as more attractive options regardless of Trafford’s stated openness.
Tottenham are also assessing Robin Roefs and Dean Henderson as alternatives should the Trafford pursuit not materialise. The goalkeeping position is one of the clearest priorities for the summer rebuild, and the club appear to have multiple routes mapped out depending on how the Vicario situation resolves and who Trafford ultimately chooses.
