Only time will tell whether Manchester City sign more players this summer.
However, Pep Guardiola could demand more new signings after City were knocked out of the FIFA Club World Cup by Al Hilal.
Manchester City are targeting a right-back but Denzel Dumfries is not on their radar while Tino Livramento is not for sale.
However, several City fans have claimed that James Trafford should be their latest addition to replace either Ederson Moraes or Stefan Ortega.
Man City fans demand James Trafford signing despite Newcastle interest
One Manchester City fan simply wrote that Pep Guardiola’s side should re-sign Trafford as he is now set to leave Burnley: “If there is an opportunity for James Trafford to return to City, I’d love to see him back.”
The Daily Mail reported that the Englishman has held talks to sign for Newcastle United but a Sky Blues supporter feels the 22-year-old would be an excellent replacement for Ederson, considering Manchester City have a maximum of 17 non-homegrown players.
“If Ederson’s intention is not to renew at City, then bringing Trafford back and promising him the number one spot next summer is a very smart idea. Think Ederson can be phased out, Trafford can be phased in over a season. You win a foreign spot for an outfield player too.”
A third Manchester City fan simply recommended Hugo Viana and Co to “hijack” Newcastle’s deal to sign Trafford, writing: “Hijack the deal for James Trafford. Seems like a no-brainer.”
A fourth supporter agreed, replying: “To replace Ortega and learn to be City’s number one, definitely!”
A fifth City fan explained the different reasons why signing the Burnley goalkeeper makes perfect sense, writing: “I was already a big ‘Bring Trafford Home’ guy. Sell Ortega so he can start somewhere and compete for a Germany spot for the WC [2026 World Cup], use the buy-back on Trafford, let him play behind & learn from Eddie for a year. Helps homegrown quota. No-brainer.”
Finally, a sixth fan agreed with another supporter who believes Trafford’s return to the Etihad Stadium would be a terrific move due to Ederson admitting his struggles and Ortega potentially set to leave Manchester City, stating: “I agree, Adam. The goalkeeper situation needs addressing and planning ahead with the acquisition of Trafford would be a great move.”
The former City shotstopper would certainly appreciate the fact that the supporters still hold him in such high regard.
James Trafford stats compared to Ederson and Stefan Ortega
Cole Palmer tipped Trafford to become “world-class” one day, which goes to show how talented he is.
Furthermore, Manchester City fans are frustrated with Ederson anyway as he played a disappointing role in between the sticks for Marcos Leonardo’s brace in Al Hilal’s recent victory against the English giants.
If the Sky Blues do try to re-sign Trafford, they will be analysing how his stats compare to their current goalkeeping options.
| STATS PER 90 | JAMES TRAFFORD | EDERSON MORAES | STEFAN ORTEGA |
| PSxG-GA | +0.26 | +0.05 | -0.04 |
| SAVE % | 84.5% | 66.4% | 68.6% |
| CLEAN SHEET % | 64.5% | 33.3% | 35.7% |
| AVG DISTANCE OF DEFENSIVE ACTIONS | 14.2 | 17.9 | 14.7 |
Based on several metrics, Trafford trumps both Ederson and Ortega.
However, it is important to note that Burnley were one of the best defensive teams in Europe last season, keeping 29 clean sheets in 46 games.
Manchester City, on the other hand had their fair share of struggles, which is perhaps one reason why Ederson and Ortega’s respective statistics are not as impressive as Trafford’s.
