Manchester City will be out for blood next season, with reclaiming the Premier League title surely top of Pep Guardiola’s to do list.
Although not mathematically out of the title race, Manchester City realistically are. They sit 22 points behind leaders Liverpool and have just nine games left, with a 4th place finish in the Premier League table seemingly their best outcome this season. That and a possible FA Cup.
But if Pep Guardiola is to make title challengers out of Man City once again then he and incoming director of football Hugo Viana will need to be hard at work in the summer transfer window, with plenty of comings and goings expected at the Etihad.
One position that might come under the spotlight is in goal. Ederson has faced criticism from Manchester City fans at times this season with the Brazilian shot-stopper having put in some mixed performances to say the least.
Earlier in the month, Ederson’s performance against Nottingham Forest was called into question, with Fabrizio Romano even confirming that Ederson could leave Manchester City during the summer transfer window.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Jamie Carragher shares verdict on James Trafford returning to Manchester City
Should Ederson’s exit rumours ramp up then there’d be a horde of names quickly linked with City. One could even be former player James Trafford wo left the Etihad for Burnley in 2023, with the Clarets forking out £19million to sign the England U21 star who’s been in fine form since.
More Man City News
In the Championship, Trafford has the most clean sheets of any goalkeeper with an incredible 26 in just 37 league appearances so far. There’s been speculation that Man City could re-sign Trafford at some point in the future, with previous reports stating that City have a buyback clause worth around £40million.
But presented with the idea of Trafford returning, Jamie Carragher played down the chances of City becoming title candidates purely because of signing Trafford. He said on The Overlap: “That’s not enough. You’re not going to win the league with James Trafford in goal.”
Jamie Carragher really isn’t a fan of Ederson
Among Ederson’s critics is Carragher himself. Speaking after Man City’s first leg defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League earlier this year, Carragher said Man City need to replace Ederson: “I think we’re at the stage now where Manchester City need a new goalkeeper.”
And he might well be right. Ederson has had injury problems in the past and so he’s unreliable in that sense. But some of his shot-stopping ability has really been pulled into question this season.
Whilst he remains a goalkeeper with a great eye for a pass and someone who compliments the Pep style of play when the going is good, Ederson has cost City too many goals, and it might be time to revert back to a goalkeeper who does the basics of goalkeeping much better.
Trafford remains young and fresh in the game but that might be exactly what City need. Of course, they won’t win the league by signing just Trafford, but maybe Trafford among others.