Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca insists Leeds United transfer target James Trafford is still one of his players but said to ‘wait on the next days’.
Leeds and City have been in talks over a £40million move for goalkeeper Trafford for a number of weeks, with an agreement close. The 23-year-old is believed to want regular football and is keen on being part of Daniel Farke’s squad.
Trafford is currently on his FIFA-mandated three-week break after being part of England’s World Cup squad that last played on July 18. This Friday, August 8, will be three weeks on from that third-place play-off win over France.
James Trafford is close to becoming Leeds United's No.1.placeholder image
James Trafford is close to becoming Leeds United's No.1. | Getty Images
City are looking at Marseille’s Geronimo Rulli as a potential replacement for Trafford, with reports they launched a first official offer on Tuesday. And ahead of a pre-season friendly against a K-League XI in Seoul, Maresca was quizzed on the goalkeeper situation.
“There are no updates yet,” Maresca told the Manchester Evening News. “James is still a City player and Rulli is still a Marseille player so we’ll wait on the next days.
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“Hugo [Viana, director of football] is here, also Ferran [Soriano, chief executive officer] is here and just try to speak day by day to see if we need to do something. For sure, there are things that we need to do. We are in communication every day.
“The reason why I said there are things to do is because the transfer window is open and when it’s open anything can happen. It’s just August and then from September when it closes it will be different.”
Should a deal for Trafford get over the line as expected, he will become Leeds’ third signing of the summer after free agent Harry Wilson and £34m centre-back Tarik Muharemovic. Both have impressed in pre-season already.
Leeds had held talks over a move for Julian Brandt but the free agent decided to join Ajax last week. The YEP understands alternative attacking options are being assessed, among them summer 2025 target and current Marseille star Igor Paixao.
Leeds are next in action at home to RB Leipzig on Saturday afternoon. They face Manchester United in Dublin next Wednesday before rounding off pre-season against FC Augsburg at Elland Road on Saturday August 15.