James Trafford has finally addressed the arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma at Manchester City, a move that pushed him out of the club just 12 months after his return.
Trafford, now at Leeds United following a £40 million summer switch, reflected on a difficult second spell at his boyhood club in an interview with The Times. Quizzed on whether City signing Donnarumma a month after his own arrival came as a surprise, the goalkeeper offered a measured response.
"Yeah, erm, yeah, it's one of them things. It happened, it's in the past."
That brief answer belies a chaotic year. Trafford was brought back to City by sporting director Hugo Viana last summer for £27 million, with the club activating a buy-back clause at Burnley as Ederson pursued interest from Turkey. The England international had reportedly been given assurances over the number one position in talks before he left Turf Moor.
Those assurances quickly unravelled. Trafford gave away a cheap goal in a 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham in the second game of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. Ederson was then allowed to complete a deadline day move to Fenerbahce, and City completed the £26 million signing of Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain.
Donnarumma, the Italy captain who broke into the AC Milan senior squad at 16, was 27 and prone to the odd error—as recently on display in a 4-2 loss to his former club PSG in the Champions League last week. Trafford had to wait until the final day of the season—Pep Guardiola's final game in charge—to return to the Premier League side. He did lead the Blues to a Carabao Cup and FA Cup double triumph.
Now at Leeds, Trafford's exit marks the end of a whirlwind chapter. His boyhood return promised much but delivered little in terms of regular football, and the Donnarumma signing proved the decisive twist. City, for their part, have moved on—though the goalkeeper's terse reflection suggests the memory lingers.