All eyes are on the goalkeeper situation at Manchester City, with the futures of Ederson and Stefan Ortega still up in the air.
Earlier this summer, Pep Guardiola said he expected both ‘keepers to remain at the club.
Ederson downplayed exit talk by branding the speculation ‘fake news’, but in recent days, there has been fresh speculation about his future.
Galatasaray are currently being linked with Ederson, and there is a fresh feeling that he could leave the club.
As a result, City have been looking at James Trafford from Burnley as a potential replacement for the Brazilian.
City have a buy-back option on Trafford worth around £40 million, but now an interesting claim has been made about the English stopper.
James Trafford wants Man City over Newcastle as intriguing transfer clause emerges
It is fascinating to consider a new goalkeeper pitching up at the Etihad Stadium.
Ederson has been the number one at City since his arrival back in 2017 from Benfica, and he is synonymous with the Pep Guardiola style of play.
He helped change the game for City, so his exit this summer would be really interesting.
The Manchester Evening News have provided some information on the situation, and about Ederson’s potential replacement, Trafford.
They say that Burnley actually have to inform City if they accept a bid from another club for Trafford. City would then have three days to match it.
Perhaps most ominously, it has been suggested that Trafford would favour a move back to City.
So far, there have been two bids for Trafford from Newcastle United, with both being turned down. The Magpies are particularly keen to have him replace Nick Pope.
But seemingly, City hold the power here and the player’s stance could well result in a return.
No bid yet for Ederson from Galatasaray
Any move for Trafford is going to hinge on Ederson.
The Brazilian, though, is not thought to be close to an exit at this stage, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that no official bid has yet gone in from Galatasaray.
But Gala have been in contact with the player.
If the two clubs reach an agreement, then there are likely to be some developments over Trafford.
That City must be told of any accepted bid by Burnley is interesting – clearly, when City sold him, the club were keen to hold some power regarding his next move.
