Leeds United transfer news: James Trafford completes move for club-record £40m deal from Man City
James Trafford signs five-year deal to join Leeds from Manchester City; initial £40m move represents club-record fee for Leeds; 23-year-old played 17 times for Man City last term, keeping eight clean sheets
Thursday 6 August 2026 20:14, UK
Leeds United have signed goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City in a club-record deal.
The deal is worth an initial £40m plus add-ons, surpassing the £35.5m paid for Georginio Rutter Hoffenheim in January 2023.
Trafford has joined Leeds on a five-year contract and becomes the third permanent signing of the summer at Elland Road after Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic.
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The 23-year-old was Leeds' top goalkeeper target heading into the summer and they hope he can bring stability to what has been a problem position at Elland Road for some time.
Trafford moves for a record fee for a British goalkeeper in a deal that makes him the fourth-most expensive goalkeeper in history.
He is behind only Kepa Arrizabalaga, who joined Chelsea for £72m from Athletic Club, Alisson, who cost Liverpool £67m from Roma, and Andre Onana, who joined Manchester United from Inter for £47.2m.
Trafford's arrival takes Leeds' spending to north of £70m in this window and is expected to leave the way for Lucas Perri to join Torino on loan with an option to buy.
Leeds are now ready to sanction the Brazilian's exit as they have enough options at goalkeeper for the time being.
Torino are waiting for Perri to recover from a small injury which kept him of their last two pre-season games before finalising the move.
There is an expectation that Leeds will bring in another goalkeeper to play as back up to Trafford.
Trafford bids emotional farewell to City
City re-signed Trafford last summer from Burnley and he played as the cup goalkeeper and helped his team win the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
But he has left in search of first-team football with Gianluigi Donnarumma the preferred choice at the Etihad.
In a post on Instagram before his transfer was announced, Trafford wrote: "To everyone at Man City, it was my dream to play for the first team from when I moved away from home at 12, and it makes me so proud to have achieved that last season, whilst also winning 2 trophies in the process.
"The fans singing my name was something I dreamt of when I went to the Etihad growing up through the academy. I wish nothing but the best for the club for the future."
Leeds' summer business
In
Harry Wilson - Fulham, free
Tarik Muharemovic - Sassuolo, £34m
James Trafford - £40m
Out
Pascal Struijk - Brighton, £18m
Karl Darlow - Manchester United, free
Illan Meslier - Arsenal, free
Harry Gray - Sheffield Wednesday, loan
Isaac Schmidt - Young Boys, undisclosed
Jack Harrison - New England Revolution, undisclosed
