Leeds United have opened talks with Manchester City over a deal for goalkeeper James Trafford, with the 23-year-old identified as the club's primary target between the posts this summer.

Newcastle United and Aston Villa have both registered interest in Trafford during the transfer window, but Leeds are understood to be ahead of the field in their pursuit of the England international.

Trafford's season at a glance

Trafford returned to Manchester City ahead of the 2025/26 campaign following a previous spell at Burnley. He went on to make 17 appearances for City, recording eight clean sheets across those outings.

The goalkeeper then featured in England's squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 under manager Thomas Tuchel, though he did not take to the field during the tournament.

Leeds' goalkeeping overhaul

The move for Trafford comes as Leeds confront a significant gap in their squad. Both Karl Darlow and Illan Meslier departed Elland Road this summer — Darlow joining Manchester United on a free transfer, while Meslier made the switch to Arsenal, also on a free.

Leeds have been active in the market beyond their goalkeeping search. Defender Tarik Muharemovic arrived from Sassuolo for £34 million, and Harry Wilson joined on a free transfer from Fulham. On the outgoing side, Pascal Struijk moved to Brighton & Hove Albion for £18 million, and Isaac Schmidt departed for Young Boys for an undisclosed fee.