Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford could head back to the Championship after his nightmare beginning to life at the Etihad, according to a report.
The England youth international rejoined Man City in a €31.2 million transfer after initially seeming destined to sign for Newcastle. The appeal of becoming the No.1 at his boyhood club proved irresistible.
Little did he realise, though, that his dream homecoming would swiftly turn into a nightmare. Despite coming off a record-breaking campaign with Burnley, Trafford looked anything but composed between the posts for City.
Matters deteriorated further for the 22-year-old when the Cityzens also secured PSG star Gianluigi Donnarumma, who immediately claimed the starting spot.
Trafford’s second spell at City has begun poorly, and it appears that the young keeper is already contemplating a swift departure from the club in the forthcoming window.
Trafford to return to the Championship?
According to TEAMtalk, Trafford is facing an ‘uncertain future’ at the Etihad and a loan move in January has become a ‘realistic possibility.’ Interestingly, the two sides linked with an interest in him are both in the Championship.
Considering that the youngster also struggled at Burnley when they were in the top division, there is perhaps a recognition that he still needs to continue his development in the second tier before establishing himself in the Premier League.
The report notes that Leicester and Southampton are monitoring a January move for the 22-year-old. Both, notably, lost their starting goalkeepers, Mads Hermansen and Aaron Ramsdale, during the summer.
The Foxes replaced Hermansen with former Real Betis goalkeeper Fran Vieites, who arrived on a free transfer, while the Saints only brought in George Long from Norwich as backup to Gavin Bazunu, who has reclaimed the No.1 jersey after a challenging year.
Trafford aims to catch the attention of Thomas Tuchel before next year’s World Cup and, to accomplish that, he obviously needs regular action. A January departure could therefore be a prudent choice.