Leeds smash transfer record to land Man City's Trafford

The 23-year-old becomes Leeds' third summer addition, following Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic, and arrives on a five-year contract at Elland Road.

Trafford's fee surpasses the £35.5m Leeds paid Hoffenheim for Georginio Rutter in January 2023, and marks a British record for a goalkeeper. According to Sky Sports, he ranks fourth on the all-time most expensive goalkeeper list, behind Kepa Arrizabalaga (£72m to Chelsea), Alisson (£67m to Liverpool), and André Onana (£47.2m to Manchester United).

The move caps Leeds' summer spending at over £70m as they address a longstanding weakness between the sticks. Last season, Trafford made 17 appearances for City, recording eight clean sheets, though he remained behind Gianluigi Donnarumma in the pecking order. He featured primarily in cup competitions, winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup with City.

The arrival paves the way for Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Perri's loan departure to Torino, with an option to buy. Perri is currently recovering from a minor injury that sidelined him for Torino's recent pre-season matches. Leeds expect to recruit another backup goalkeeper to support Trafford.