Leeds United have completed the signing of goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City.

The Athletic reported earlier on August 6 that the 23-year-old had completed a medical ahead of finalising the transfer.

The England international began his medical on Monday and concluded it with Leeds staff over the course of this week. He has now signed a five-year deal with the club.

🔥 Welcome to Leeds, James! pic.twitter.com/Lps89bMTiT

— Leeds United (@LUFC) August 6, 2026

The Athletic reported last week that the deal will be worth a guaranteed £40million to City plus add-ons.

Leeds have been in the market for a goalkeeper after Karl Darlow, who ended last season as No 1, departed on a free transfer to Manchester United. Lucas Perri remains at the club after losing his place to Darlow during the 2025-26 season, and Alex Cairns is also in the squad.

Newcastle United had been among Trafford’s suitors this summer, with The Athletic reporting on July 21 that he had been their primary option, but they were no longer considering a move. They have since completed the signing of Braga goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.

Trafford joined City from Burnley last summer and made 17 appearances in the 2025-26 campaign, including playing every match in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup as City won both competitions.

The City academy graduate had returned to the club last year under the impression he would be first choice, but the signing of Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day saw Trafford act as the Italy international’s deputy.

Trafford has been capped twice at senior international level by England following his debut in March, and was a part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad at the World Cup this summer, but did not make an appearance at the tournament.

Trafford move ‘a coup’

Analysis by Leeds correspondent Beren Cross

This will be a significant coup for Leeds. Trafford is one of the rising stars of European goalkeeping and would stand a good chance of starting in goal for half of the teams in the Premier League.

It is no secret Trafford wants to play far more regularly than he did with City last season and he would be the undisputed No 1 at Elland Road. The West Yorkshire outfit can also demonstrate the platform they gave Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Anton Stach in returning to their national teams.

United have first-hand experience of how impressive the 23-year-old can be between the sticks. Leeds went toe-to-toe with Trafford’s Burnley team for the Championship crown in 2024-25, when the goalkeeper conceded just 16 goals in 45 league starts — and kept a Championship record 30 clean sheets.

Leeds will hope Trafford can be their long-term solution between the sticks. Illan Meslier has finally moved on after a prolonged demise of his Elland Road career. Lucas Perri endured a difficult first season in England. Meanwhile, Karl Darlow has left, but even if he had stayed, it is unlikely he would have been No 1 in the upcoming campaign.

Harry Wilson, an experienced top-flight operator off the back of a career-best season, has already been recruited on a free. One of the club’s biggest fees in history has been spent on Tarik Murahemovic, but Trafford could end up being their single most important piece of business of the summer.

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba has suffered an ankle ligament injury and is a doubt for the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

Baleba is expected to spend a period on the sidelines but Brighton hope the problem is not a long-term one.

The Cameroon international sustained the injury during pre-season and was absent from Brighton’s friendly against Strasbourg on Saturday, a 4-3 win.

After further friendlies against Roma and Bologna, Fabian Hurzeler’s side begin their season on Thursday, August 20 with the away leg of their Conference League qualifier against Tromso or CFR Cluj. Brighton start their Premier League campaign three days later at home against Aston Villa.

Baleba had been the subject of transfer interest from Manchester United at the end of last season, but no move has materialised for the 22-year-old. United had broadly agreed personal terms with Baleba last summer and continued to track him during the 2025-26 season, but have instead moved for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans to add to their midfield ranks.

Baleba made 31 Premier League appearances for Brighton last season, his third on the south coast after signing from Lille in the summer of 2023.

Brighton have so far signed Luka Vuskovic, Michael Svoboda, Pascal Struijk, Costinha and Zadok Yohanna during this transfer window.

What does Baleba’s injury mean for Brighton?

Analysis from Brighton correspondent Andy Naylor

Baleba’s injury is a blow. Brighton begin their season earlier than normal with the away leg of a tie against Romanian side Cluj or Norwegian outfit Tromso in the Europa Conference League on August 20 before the Premier League campaign commences at home to Aston Villa three days later.

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler is, however, accustomed to adapting his midfield options after Baleba’s form dipped dramatically last season amid strong transfer interest from Manchester United.

The Cameroonian made 23 starts out of 38 in the league, was substituted by Hurzeler at half-time on four occasions and only completed 90 minutes three times.

Brighton need Baleba fit and firing, back to the box-to-box power he showed in the 2024-25 season, which attracted United’s interest and had other heavyweight European clubs glancing admiringly in his direction.

Neither Russell Martin nor Danny Rohl were able to restore past glories in their short stints in Govan while McInnes was taking Hearts to the verge of immortality.

Much of the condemnation surrounding the Ibrox club’s failures last season came back to the same theme – they may be fluid and clinical going forward at times, but a soft underbelly put paid to hopes of success.

“I thought we gave up too many chances and gave teams too much encouragement,” the 55-year-old added post match in Poland.

“We’ve got to be honest and say we are guilty of beating ourselves tonight. And that’s no disrespect to our opponent because on transitions and counter-attack, it fuels them.”

Rangers were flailing in the opening 45 minutes as Jagiellonia cut them open with ease, capitalising on numerous lapses in concentration.

Twelve minutes into the game, Thelo Aasgaard tried an audacious spin on the edge of the hosts’ box, attempting to squeeze the ball through a small gap in the defence.

One minute later it was in the back of Rangers’ net following an impressive counter.

“There’s no bigger drain on confidence for any player, team, support than losing cheap goals,” McInnes said.

“There were mistakes for the goals, and I understand that can happen, but we have got to be far more stingy with our work, defend the goal with our lives, don’t give our opponent opportunities.

“At no cost is that ball going in our box, at no cost are they going to get a chance, and we’ve got to have a bit more of that approach to our work.”

The central defensive partnership of Dujon Sterling and Emmanuel Fernandez looked particularly shaky.

“If you spoke to McInnes right now without a microphone in front of him, and you asked him, ‘Do you trust Fernandez?’, there’s no way he says yes, no way,” former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday said on BBC Sportsound.

“But he doesn’t have an option at this moment in time to play someone else.

“I’m being very critical here, but I think Fernandez has every attribute to be a top, top central defender, yet it looks as if he hasn’t had the education growing up of the basics of being a central defender.”