Leeds United's record signing James Trafford ready to have 'fun’ after joining for club record £45m

Leeds United's record signing James Trafford ready to have 'fun’ after joining for club record £45m - I don’t care if I have a point to prove

By Ben McAleer

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Leeds United have confirmed the signing of James Trafford from Manchester City for a reported £45 million, surpassing the British record fee for a goalkeeper set when Everton paid Sunderland £30m for Jordan Pickford in 2017.

The price also surpasses Leeds' record £35m outlay for Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim in January 2023.

”I don’t really care if I have a point to prove,” Trafford told LUTV. ”I know my own abilities. I go out and try as hard as I can and have as much fun as I can.

"Everything that comes with it is what it is. I am really excited and just really happy that it is finally done. I can get onto preparing for the new season and can focus on getting in with everyone next week.

”It is an amazing club, full of energy and passion - the club and the fans. That goes a really long way because of the energy of the team, the players and the fans contribute to results and performances and improving them.

"It is just a great place for anyone, let alone myself, to play.”

Trafford joined City from Burnley last summer and made 17 appearances, including every match in the victorious Carabao Cup and Emirates FA Cup competitions.

However, the 23-year-old’s return to the Etihad was overshadowed by the subsequent arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day, with the Italy international preferred as the club’s No. 1 in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

Trafford has been capped twice by England, having made his debut in March, while he was among Pickford’s understudies during the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Leeds also have Lucas Perri and Alex Cairns in their goalkeeper ranks, though Perri lost his place to Karl Darlow in the second half of last season and did not play in the Premier League after the 4-3 defeat to Newcastle United on January 7.

Perri has been linked with a move to Torino on loan, while Darlow joined Manchester United earlier in the window.

Trafford came through the City academy, before having loan spells with Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers and joining Burnley permanently in 2023.

He made 73 appearances for The Clarets, playing a central role in their Premier League promotion, before City re-signed him last summer.

Trafford continued: ”I competed against Leeds very closely two seasons ago. Playing against them, they were obviously a very, very strong team. It is a very tough place to come and last season, I remember seeing them at the Etihad.

"From that second half onwards, they were incredible. The energy, the physicality, the directness was just fun to watch, and it is obviously very effective.

”To take Leeds to the next step, it is just to keep going on the track they have been going on since the manager came in.

"Obviously, close to getting promoted out of the Championship, lost in the final, then got promoted with 100 points, then stayed up and got better through the season. It shows that something is going well, and they are sticking to a good process. You have just got to keep on that same trajectory.”

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