James Trafford costs more than Champions League winner and Tottenham new boy despite not being above… – talkSPORT

Burnley is set to make Man City star James Trafford the 17th most expensive goalkeeper of all time.

But despite his hefty price tag, the glove man has only played up to League One level in his short career.

talkSPORT understands the Clarets are in advanced talks with Man City to sign academy product Trafford for £19million.

That would make him more expensive than Champions League winner Edouard Mendy, who recently left Chelsea for Saudi side Al-Ahli in a £16 million deal.

It would also see Trafford become more expensive than Tottenham’s new £16 million goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Burnley manager and ex-Man City captain Vincent Kompany has probably been eyeing his former club’s starlet for some time.

But it is the 20-year-old’s recent performances for England’s U21s at the European Championships and keeping a clean sheet throughout the tournament that will have caught Kompany’s attention ahead of Burnley’s return to the Premier League.

Despite Trafford’s quality being evident, he has only experienced football two leagues lower, having been loaned out to League One since 2021/22.

Trafford signed for Accrington Stanley for the first time on loan, making eleven appearances.

He then sent to Bolton on loan for the second part of the season, keeping four clean sheets in his first four games – the first time a new goalkeeper has done so in the club’s history.

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Trafford continued to be loaned out to Bolton, keeping 26 clean sheets this season, breaking the record for most clean sheets by a Bolton goalkeeper in a single season.

So while Trafford certainly has no top-flight experience, his efforts for play-off finalists and EFL Trophy winners Bolton and his performances for England demonstrate his talent.

It is clear why Man City tied him to a five-year contract in 2021.

Trafford has a long way to go before he can match Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for a world record fee of £71 million.

But stopping his shot and his skill with his feet explain why he is already in the top 20 most expensive goalkeepers in football history and why Burnley want to get him.

Trafford and England’s U21s return to action at the European Championships on Wednesday, taking on Israel in the semi-finals live on talkSPORT2.

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