Trafford's £45m Leeds switch hands City a tidy piece of business
James Trafford's time at the Etihad is over, with the goalkeeper completing a £45m move to Leeds United. The fee makes him the Yorkshire club's record signing, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The deal also contains a future-profit clause in City's favour, so a slice of any eventual sale will find its way back to Manchester. For a 23-year-old England international who has yet to establish himself as a regular starter, that is a sensible piece of structuring.
Earlier in the day, the talk was of a fee closer to £40m. The final figure suggests Leeds were determined to get their man on Wednesday, and City were happy to let them pay for the privilege.
Trafford only came back to the Etihad from Burnley last summer. With the competition for the number one shirt as fierce as it is, a permanent move in search of regular football always looked the likeliest outcome this window.
An academy product who rose through the ranks at City, he impressed during his loan spells away from the club earlier in his career. A fresh start, with the promise of regular Premier League football, suits this stage of his development.
The funds from this sale also arrive at a useful moment. City have been closing in on Geronimo Rulli as the experienced option to add depth behind the first choice, and the money banked here gives the club the room to finish that deal without delay.