Should Trafford Stay at Man City or Seek Playing Time?

Should James Trafford Stick or Twist at Manchester City?

James Trafford’s career crossroads arrived earlier than expected. On the same day Gianluigi Donnarumma celebrated being crowned FIFA’s Best Goalkeeper of 2025, Trafford was preparing to start for Manchester City in a Carabao Cup quarter-final.

A clean sheet in City’s 2-0 win over Brentford showed his quality, but it may not be enough to prevent a return to the bench. With Donnarumma firmly established as City’s number one, Trafford’s future looks uncertain — and with the World Cup approaching, questions about a January move are intensifying.

A Dream Return… or Nightmare Reality?

Trafford rejoined City from Burnley in the summer, signing a five-year deal to compete for the No.1 spot vacated by Ederson. But his hopes were quickly dashed when Pep Guardiola pounced on a £26m deadline-day opportunity to bring in Donnarumma from PSG.

Guardiola was clear:

“He is a goalkeeper, James cannot play left-back… Gigio is the first keeper.”

Trafford has featured just seven times this season, mostly in cup competitions, and Guardiola’s comments suggest limited Premier League opportunities moving forward.

Expert Opinions: ‘He Has No Pathway’

Former City keeper Nicky Weaver summarized the dilemma perfectly:

“When we signed Donnarumma, everyone was excited – except Trafford.”

Weaver added:

“He just has to stick in there… but I’m sure he would learn if he was playing every week.”

Even Pep Guardiola praised Trafford as “incredible,” but followed with “unfortunately Gigio is the first keeper.”

World Cup Worries for Trafford

With Jordan Pickford securing nine consecutive clean sheets for England, Trafford has zero caps and minimal club action to stake his claim. His World Cup dream hangs by a thread.

Despite being linked with a possible move, sources close to the club insist City don’t plan to let him leave in January. Yet Guardiola’s “we will see what happens” hints the door isn’t completely shut.

Should He Leave or Learn?

Reasons to Stay:

• Learn from a world-class keeper in Donnarumma

• Compete in domestic cups and possibly win silverware

• Long-term contract provides stability

Reasons to Go:

• Needs regular minutes to stay in England’s plans

• No clear route to displacing Donnarumma

• A loan move could offer exposure and experience

Conclusion: What’s Best for Trafford?

Trafford is at a critical juncture. Staying means development under elite tutelage but risks stagnation. Leaving could relaunch his England prospects but carries its own uncertainties.

For now, he remains City’s Carabao Cup custodian, with a chance to win a medal — but if international ambition trumps club loyalty, a summer move seems inevitable.