James Trafford is one of two Manchester City players who is ready to leave the club in the January transfer window, according to a report.
The 23-year-old academy graduate was re-signed by the Citizens from Burnley for £27m in the summer and he started in each of the club’s opening three Premier League matches this season, ahead of Ederson who later secured a move to Fenerbahce.
However, Trafford is now playing second fiddle to fellow new recruit Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was quickly installed as Man City’s first-choice shot-stopper following his deadline-day arrival from Paris Saint-Germain.
Donnarumma has been handed 10 successive Premier League starts and four more in the Champions League since moving to the Etihad Stadium, while Trafford has been reduced to just three outings in that time - two in the EFL Cup and one in the Champions League.
Trafford put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Man City in July, but at a time when the goalkeeper is struggling for game time and has aspirations of forcing his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for next summer’s World Cup, speculation over is future has intensified in recent weeks.
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Trafford ‘wants out’ of Man City in January
Man City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole that there is “zero chance” of Trafford leaving the Etihad in the winter transfer window and it would be “silly behaviour” to sanction a mid-season exit.
However, according to the Daily Mail, Trafford already ‘wants out’ of the Etihad after just five months and is ready to leave in January in search of regular first-team football.
Trafford is understood to have chosen Man City over other clubs in the summer on the understanding he would become Pep Guardiola’s first choice, but a lack of game time has now put his World Cup hopes in jeopardy, with Tuchel insistent that members of his squad must be playing regularly.
The report adds that Trafford has become the second Man City player looking to leave after fellow goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, who has fallen down the pecking order and has not made a single appearance under Guardiola this season.
Ortega, 33, is now effectively fourth-choice goalkeeper at Man City behind summer arrival Marcus Bettinelli and the German has not been travelling to away games this term.
Which clubs could sign Trafford in January?
Newcastle United were believed to be on the cusp of signing Trafford from Burnley in the summer before Man City triggered a matching rights clause to beat the Magpies to his signature.
It is claimed that Eddie Howe’s side are expected to return for Trafford next month, having instead brought in Aaron Ramsdale on loan from Southampton in the summer to provide competition for Nick Pope.
In recent weeks, Pope has endured some error-strewn performances between Newcastle’s posts and he is currently nursing a groin strain, with Ramsdale handed his first league start for the Magpies in a 4-1 win at Everton last weekend.
Aston Villa are also understood to be weighing up a possible move for Trafford amid uncertainty over the future of their No.1 Emiliano Martinez, while Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are two more Premier League clubs that have been credited with an interest.