Manchester City
James Trafford Returns to Manchester City as Goalkeeper
Manchester City confirm goalkeeper James Trafford’s return from Burnley on a five-year deal.
Manchester City have confirmed the return of goalkeeper James Trafford, bringing back the former academy product from Burnley. Trafford was initially sold in 2023, with a £40 million buy-back clause included in his sale. However, City negotiated a deal below that figure, reportedly lower than a £27 million offer from Newcastle. The goalkeeper has committed to a five-year contract, extending his stay at Manchester City through to June 2030.
During his time at Burnley, Trafford was instrumental under the management of former City player Vincent Kompany. He recorded 29 clean sheets in 45 Championship appearances, playing a key role in Burnley’s promotion back to the Premier League. Notably, he set a Championship record by keeping 12 consecutive clean sheets.
In his first interview since re-signing, Trafford expressed deep affection for the club: “Rejoining City is such special and proud moment both for me and my family. I always dreamed that one day I would be able to come back to Manchester City. This is the place I call home. It’s a truly special football club with fantastic people who make it such a unique place to work and play.”
Hugo Viana, Manchester City’s director of football, praised Trafford’s qualities, stating, “James is already one of the most accomplished young goalkeepers in the English game, and we are delighted to welcome him back to Manchester City. He has all the attributes a top-class goalkeeper requires. We feel he is an ideal fit for this squad and will bring great quality to the goalkeeping department. We fully believe he will be really successful and a top goalkeeper for Manchester City and the national team.”
Trafford’s arrival raises questions about the futures of Ederson and Stefan Ortega at the club. Ederson, a key figure through City’s recent successes including their treble-winning season, was linked with a move to Galatasaray, but talks have reportedly stalled. Ortega briefly displaced Ederson last season but did not maintain the starting position.
This summer, Manchester City has also signed goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea, in addition to outfield players Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Rayan Aït-Nouri.
Arsenal
Premier League Transfer Roundup: Key Moves and Interests Revealed
Premier League clubs pursue transfers including Antony, Gabriel Jesus, Cole Palmer, and more.
The 2025/26 season’s transfer speculation continues to captivate Premier League followers. Manchester United recently turned down a €20 million offer from Real Betis for a stake in Antony’s player rights, according to SPORT. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus, currently sidelined by injury, has been linked with a surprising potential move to rivals Tottenham Hotspur and interest from Newcastle United, per CaughtOffside. Despite this, Arsenal is expected to resist selling key players Oleksandr Zinchenko and Leandro Trossard, as detailed by Football Transfers.
Liverpool’s target Alexander Isak has dismissed a lucrative offer from Al Hilal that would have made him one of football’s highest earners, reports Mundo Deportivo. Attention in the transfer market also centers on Manchester City preparing an unprecedented €250 million bid for Cole Palmer, who joined Chelsea two years ago for £45 million, as claimed by Fichajes.
Interest in Aleksandar Mitrović from Manchester United, Newcastle, and Tottenham remains, with Newcastle also linked to RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško. However, Šeško is reportedly more inclined to join Manchester United, according to Guido Schäfer.
To neutralize Real Madrid’s interest, Manchester City plans to offer Rodri a new five-year contract, according to Fichajes. Barcelona, meanwhile, is reportedly willing to sell academy graduate Gerard Martín for as little as €15 million, with Premier League clubs showing interest, according to El Nacional.
Finally, Xabi Alonso has made a decision to move on Raúl Asencio, putting the defender’s future in doubt, reports OK Diario.
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola Cleared of Coaching Interest in India; Xavi Hernández Hoax Confirmed
AIFF confirms Pep Guardiola did not apply for India coaching role; Xavi applications also fake.
The All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) has officially dismissed rumours that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had applied for the role of head coach of India’s men’s national football team. Both Guardiola and former Barcelona boss Xavi Hernández were linked to the coaching position, with applications said to have arrived via email. However, the AIFF confirmed these were fraudulent.
An official AIFF statement said: “The AIFF received an email furnishing the applications from Spanish coaches Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernández. The authenticity of their applications could not be confirmed, and it has since emerged that the email applications were not genuine.”
Unlike Guardiola, who is under contract with Manchester City until 2027, Xavi has been without a coaching role since his dismissal from Barcelona in June 2024. His previous managerial experience with Al Sadd in Qatar could suggest openness to coaching opportunities outside Europe.
While Guardiola is unlikely to take a role in India soon, he has spoken openly about ambitions in international football. In June, he told Reuters, “I would love to be in a World Cup, in a Euro, a Copa América. I have always thought about it. But it depends on many, many things. If it happens, it’s fine. If it doesn’t happen, it’s more than fine as well.” His current focus remains on Manchester City, where despite a difficult season and a third-place league finish, he extended his contract in late 2024. The reigning champions also exited the recent Club World Cup at the last 16 stage.
Arsenal
Dominic Solanke Doubts Manchester United’s Top Four Prospects for 2025–26
Dominic Solanke predicts Manchester United will miss out on the Premier League top four in 2025–26.
Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke has expressed skepticism over Manchester United’s chances of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League for the 2025–26 season. Speaking on DA4P’s YouTube channel, Solanke provided his predictions for the teams likely to qualify for the Champions League spots.
Solanke confidently included Tottenham first in his top-four forecast, followed by Liverpool and Manchester City. When questioned about Manchester United’s potential to challenge for a Champions League position next term, Solanke simply replied, “nah,” instead opting to include Arsenal as a contender.
This blunt verdict reflects the ongoing struggles faced by the Red Devils, who endured a difficult previous season. While Solanke’s confidence in Tottenham’s qualification might raise some eyebrows—given their 17th-place finish last season—his assessment of Manchester United aligns with widespread doubts about their immediate recovery under Ruben Amorim’s management.
Solanke’s straightforward response underlines the challenges ahead for Manchester United, suggesting the club faces another challenging campaign outside Europe’s elite competition.
