Manchester City are looking to put the finishing touches on their squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Pep Guardiola wanted four to five new faces added to his squad ahead of the upcoming campaign, a target the Manchester outfit has already achieved.
Fabrizio Romano expects Man City to sign a right-back over the coming weeks, while a new goalkeeper may be on the cards for Citizens, as there is doubt over the futures of Ederson and Stefan Ortega.
James Trafford is Man City’s top target for the role, and if the deal for the Burnley star gets over the line, Guardiola needs to make sure he keeps hold of Ortega for many reasons, which has now been given a big boost.
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Burnley no longer want Stefan Ortega
It was reported last week that Burnley were interested in Ortega should they lose Trafford to Man City, as the deal would have been easy to get over the line, given the clubs are already in talks.
However, Manchester Evening News is now reporting that the Clarets do not intend to move for the 32-year-old and will instead look to sign another goalkeeper to replace Trafford at Turf Moor.
Man City were more likely to let Ortega leave over Ederson ahead of the new season, but that may have changed given the interest of Galatasaray in the Brazilian goalkeeper. Both shot-stoppers are out of contract at the end of the season, but Guardiola must not lose both.
The best solution going forward would be to allow Ederson to leave, as the City legend would demand a higher transfer fee, and then bring in Trafford to replace the 31-year-old, with Ortega as support.
The Burnley star could learn a lot from the German’s experience, while the 32-year-old is more than capable of stepping up when called upon, with Guardiola believing that Ortega is an “exceptional” goalkeeper.
The veteran star will have ambitions to challenge Trafford for the number one spot at the Etihad Stadium should the Englishman arrive, which will also be good for the 22-year-old, as it will keep him on his toes.
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How James Trafford compares to Man City’s goalkeepers
Trafford is more similar to Ederson out of the two Man City shot-stoppers, with both being very modern goalkeepers. Both are exceptional with the ball at their feet, which aids build-up play, and both are very composed in their box.
The 22-year-old is a better shot-stopper than the Brazilian, which is similar to Ortega, while his reflexes are stronger, which is aided by his age.
| Player | Games | Goals Conceded | Clean Sheets | Minutes |
| Ederson | 40 | 54 | 13 | 3611 |
| Stefan Ortega | 22 | 24 | 8 | 1909 |
| James Trafford | 46 | 16 | 29 | 4050 |
Trafford is essentially an upgrade on both goalkeepers in their current form, which is exactly what Guardiola and City fans are looking for.
The Englishman could be the Manchester club’s number one for the next five years and beyond, but it remains to be seen if they can get a deal over the line, as there are still many details to be worked out before that can happen.
