Manchester City sell international to Premier League rivals for a record fee | Goal.com

Published on 06 Aug 2026 | Reading time: 1 minute

Both clubs officially announced the transfer on Thursday evening. Leeds, where Trafford has signed a five-year contract until 2031, are reportedly paying a club-record fee of €47 million to Manchester. That takes him past Georginio Rutter as Leeds' record signing after the club paid just over €40 million to TSG Hoffenheim in 2023.

Trafford also becomes the most expensive English goalkeeper of all time. The 23-year-old came through City's academy and had only returned to the Sky Blues from Burnley last year. But just a month later, with Gianluigi Donnarumma arriving from Paris Saint-Germain, City then put an absolute world-class goalkeeper ahead of Trafford.

That left the England international, who has two caps, as City's No 2 behind Donnarumma last season. Trafford made just five competitive appearances in 2025/26, and Leeds now plan to use him as their No 1 again.

The 1.97-metre goalkeeper was most recently part of England's World Cup squad, but did not make a tournament appearance for the third-placed side. At Leeds, Trafford is expected to help them secure survival once again.

Leeds still have friendlies against RB Leipzig (8 August), Manchester United (12 August) and Augsburg (15 August) before Daniel Farke's side begin their Premier League campaign again on 22 August. They open away at Nottingham Forest.

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