Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford as a potential replacement for Guglielmo Vicario, according to The Sun, with the 23-year-old England international widely expected to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer after losing his starting spot to Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Trafford returned to Man City from Burnley in a £27m deal last summer, having been led to believe he would be competing for the number one jersey. But Donnarumma’s deadline day arrival from PSG changed that picture immediately, and Trafford has since been restricted largely to cup appearances.
He made a strong impression in those games, most notably saving a Mohamed Salah penalty in City’s 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final win over Liverpool, and made his senior England debut in the most recent international break.
Despite Pep Guardiola repeatedly praising him as an “unbelievable keeper” with an “incredible future,” an exit this summer is widely anticipated.
Why Trafford suits Tottenham under De Zerbi
The fit is compelling on paper. At 6ft 6in, Trafford offers exceptional command of his penalty area, but it is his ball-playing ability that makes him particularly relevant for Roberto De Zerbi’s system.
The new Spurs manager demands his goalkeeper to act as an auxiliary centre-back in possession, effectively as the starting point for Spurs’ build-up play.
Trafford’s education in Manchester City’s possession-focused academy has made him technically adept in exactly this regard, arguably more so than Vicario, who has often looked uncertain when playing out from the back under previous managers.
His age profile also aligns perfectly with what De Zerbi will want to build over the next five years.
At 23, with World Cup ambitions and a clear ceiling still to reach, Trafford is the kind of goalkeeper a manager can develop and mould. The chance to be an undisputed first-choice number one in the Premier League will appeal strongly after a season spent largely watching from the bench.
Can Tottenham beat Newcastle and Aston Villa to James Trafford?
Newcastle are considered the frontrunners.
Eddie Howe came very close to signing Trafford last summer before Man City intervened, and his admiration for the goalkeeper has not diminished.
Football Insider also wrote about the fact that Newcastle are leading Tottenham in the race at this stage. Aston Villa are another serious contender, with earlier reports suggesting Trafford personally preferred a move to Villa Park over other options.
Tottenham’s position is complicated by the club’s current situation. Fighting relegation, without European football and in the middle of a rebuild, they are not the obvious destination for a 23-year-old with England World Cup ambitions. Whether the De Zerbi project and the promise of being the undisputed first choice is enough to tip the balance in Spurs’ favour remains the key question, but their presence in the race at least confirms the goalkeeping search is already well underway.
