Leeds have completed the signing of goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City for a club-record fee, with the England goalkeeper agreeing a five-year contract.
The transfer is worth about 46.4m euros, excluding potential bonuses, according to Sky Sports. It also represents the highest fee ever paid for an English goalkeeper, as well as surpassing Leeds’ previous record for a player arriving at the club.
Trafford’s move takes Leeds beyond the club’s previous transfer benchmark, which was set by the signing of Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim in January 2023. Leeds paid about 41.2m euros for the French forward at the time.
The goalkeeper made 17 appearances for Manchester City last season and kept eight clean sheets. His arrival means Leeds’ spending in the current transfer window has now risen above 81m euros.
Trafford has now committed his future to Leeds for the next five years after formally completing his move from Manchester City. The agreement includes the possibility of additional payments on top of the reported basic fee.
The transfer gives Leeds a new record signing while also establishing a new benchmark for an English goalkeeper. The 46.4m-euro figure eclipses the amount spent on Rutter and makes Trafford the most expensive player in both categories.
Rutter’s move from Hoffenheim had held Leeds’ club record since January 2023, when the club agreed a deal worth about 41.2m euros for the forward. That mark has now been exceeded by the fee for Trafford, before any bonuses are taken into account.
Trafford’s contribution for Manchester City last season included eight matches in which he did not concede. Across the campaign, he played 17 times for the club before completing his transfer to Leeds.
The move also takes Leeds’ total expenditure for this transfer window past the 81m-euro mark. With the reported fee for Trafford included, the club have committed more than that amount to their recruitment during the current window.
Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford will therefore begin the next stage of his career at Leeds under a long-term agreement. His five-year contract and the record fee underline the scale of the transfer, which has been confirmed officially by Leeds.