The excitement is cutting through to James Trafford. Leeds United’s goalkeeper does not manage his social media accounts but his friends have kept him informed of the feverish reaction to his arrival.

Forty-five minutes in front of a Croke Park terrace rammed with Leeds supporters, less than a week after becoming the club’s most expensive transfer in history, also gave him an unsubtle insight into the reaction. This club is everywhere, he’s discovered.

“Everyone seems to be a Leeds fan,” he told reporters, including The Athletic, on Friday. “That’s what I figured out.

“I don’t run my social media but my mates tell me there’s a lot of Leeds fans, and they’re all really excited. It’s amazing. Everyone wears Leeds tops (in the city). The only tops you really see — maybe I’ll notice it now — are Leeds tops.”

Trafford, 23, is an immensely level-headed individual. Every answer he gives boils down to a very sensible point of view: he loves playing football, he’s looking forward to doing it with Leeds and there’s nothing he can do about his price tag.

When a club spends an initial £40million ($54.1m) on a goalkeeper, the most ever spent on a British stopper, there is a certain level of anticipation and expectation attached to the player in question. Trafford acknowledges those hopes, but knows it’s not something he can focus on.

“I can’t control any of that,” he said. “I just want to go play football and work as hard as I can, and enjoy it as much as I can.

“People can be excited. It’s brilliant they’re excited and we want to win games of football.”

Trafford, left, shares a joke with his then-Manchester City team-mate Erling Haaland during the World Cup (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

The former Manchester City man also does not think it’s especially about him, personally. Trafford suspects the next new signing at Leeds will generate the same kind of excitement, the next dopamine hit.

“It’s brilliant they’re (Leeds fans) excited,” he said. “Any new signing they’d be excited about because it’s just the nature of the world we live in. Everyone always wants the next thing but yes, it’s brilliant they’re excited and I can’t wait to play in front of them all again.”

Trafford, who travelled with England to the World Cup, was available this summer because he was Manchester City’s backup stopper. In interviews, he did not hide his disappointment at sitting out much of the Premier League season.

However, as he said on Friday, he took a lot from being the man between the sticks as City won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. It showed him the power of persistence.

“It’s a very long season at City because there are so many games, so much travelling,” he said. “Some days were really tough and some days were really, really good.

“It’s just about balancing the emotions and learning from it because it was a totally new experience for me. The first half of the season was a lot harder because the games weren’t so frequent I was playing (in).

“From January to the end of the season, we had a lot of big games. We played Newcastle, or we played Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea.

“We had big games and we were getting closer to winning a trophy. To win the two trophies was a brilliant end to a very tough season because it rewarded me for never giving up.

“It was a season I look back on as a positive season. I learned a lot and got better.”

A goalkeeper of Trafford’s standing was never going to be short of transfer options, yet he believes he has found the correct landing spot.

“It’s the best move for me at this stage in my career and for all the dreams and things I want to achieve,” he said. “This is the thing that puts me in the best stead to achieve all those dreams, and I can’t wait.

Trafford impressed in City’s win over Arsenal in March’s Carabao Cup final (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

“The staff are always wanting to improve. It’s a really good squad that can always improve, and it’s a club that’s just always trying to improve. When everyone’s trying to move in the same direction and are moving, then you’re always going to grow, so that’s the main thing.”

Elland Road is the next box to tick off on his list as a Leeds player. He will almost certainly feature in the final pre-season friendly against Augsburg today (Saturday).

It won’t be his first time there, however. He faced Daniel Farke’s team in September 2024, when Burnley and Leeds went head-to-head for the Championship crown.

True to his form across that entire campaign (16 goals conceded in 45 appearances in that 2024-25 season), he kept a clean sheet.

“It’ll be a lot better playing with the fans than against the fans,” he said. “They’re honestly very, very good. They make Elland Road extremely tough and they improve us as a team, which is the main thing. We’re all really excited to be back in front of them again.”

Manchester United fans noticed something familiar about Dan Armer watching his performances on last season’s run to the FA Youth Cup final.

The way he carries himself, his mannerisms and even some of his movements on and off the ball remind many of Harry Maguire.

The comparison is an obvious one for an 18-year-old centre-back at United, particularly when Maguire is one of the senior-squad colleagues he can learn from. But the number of people making it has only increased during an impressive pre-season with the first team for this 18-year-old boyhood fan of the Old Trafford club.

Armer has played 136 minutes in four games across Europe for coach Michael Carrick’s side, including the second half against Leeds on Wednesday night in front of 82,000 fans at Dublin’s Croke Park, where he was defending against experienced Premier League striker and England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He also featured in the friendlies against Wrexham, Rosenborg and Atletico Madrid.

Maguire himself has described Armer’s showings this summer as “magnificent”.

“I think Dan’s been brilliant,” he told club media. “Eighteen years old, playing in tough games and playing for this club for the first time. He’s been magnificent at centre-back and, hopefully, he can continue to progress, keep enjoying working with us.”

High praise, and it will be well received.

The teenage Scot would love to follow in Maguire’s footsteps and one day be a first-team regular for United, and he is striving to make that a reality. Those close to him feel like it may be 18 months to two years before he can really push for regular starts at that level, which shows there is patience — important considering his position and the players in front of him.

Armer is a left-sided centre-back and is very highly thought of at United. For now, the focus is continuing his development, with the club keen to give him a pathway but without rushing him. The first-team coaching staff — including Carrick — were regular watchers from the stands as Darren Fletcher’s under-18s went all the way to the FA Youth Cup final last season.

They were impressed by Armer, and his performances helped them decide he deserved a chance to play alongside the senior players during this summer’s pre-season preparations.

Described as being incredibly well-mannered around the training ground, he is also very self-assured about his ability but aware of the need to work hard if he is going to progress to being a first-team regular. He often picks the brains of coaches and wants to do extra video analysis of his game to make improvements.

United’s senior players such as Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and Maguire are always working with the club’s youngsters when they come to join in first-team training, and it is no different with Armer. When he gets out on the pitches at Carrington with Maguire, he is particularly looking to learn from him as a player he looks up to.

Away from United, Armer watches other players in his position to try to learn his trade. A current favourite is Barcelona and Spain’s 19-year-old star Pau Cubarsi. The Scotland youth international may not be on as fast a track to the top as Cubarsi, but his development is being progressed.

Armer now stands at well over 6ft, having gone through a growth spurt in his early teens which gave him some issues with his stride pattern for around two years but is no longer a problem.

The past 24 months have seen his performances for the academy sides steadily improve.

For this upcoming season, he is expected to feature predominantly for the under-21s after turning out for them and the under-18s last time, but he will also be part of a group of young players who will be called up often to participate in first-team training when required or when it is felt they will benefit from it.

If a loan offer were to arrive, it may be considered if deemed suitable for his development, but the plan is for him to remain at United for now.

Adam Lawrence is currently working as under-21s manager and is a big admirer. United have yet to confirm a new deal for Lawrence, but it is expected he will stay in the role for the season ahead.

Recently, United announced nine academy players had signed their first professional contracts and there was some confusion as to why Armer was not on that list. However, The Athletic has been told he actually signed his pro papers last year.

There is currently a real optimism among United’s academy players that there is a proper path to the first team under Carrick’s coaching setup, and they feel if they impress they will get a chance.

Armer has really enjoyed his spell with the first team this summer and, in particular, going up against Calvert-Lewin last week when Leeds were eventually beaten on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

It may have been another warm-up game for the season, but given the size of the crowd in Dublin and coming off the bench at half-time to face a striker who has played at the top level with Everton and Leeds for a decade now and made 12 England appearances, Armer impressed.

It was another display that reflected the qualities he has shown for United’s academy sides. He was assured on the ball, happy to move it forward in possession and sharp defensively, covering back to block Calvert-Lewin at one stage as the striker threatened to get in behind.

Armer has also mixed well with first-team players at training throughout the pre-season. Yet there is still a realism that there is a big step from pre-season friendlies to playing regular Premier League football. Armer’s ambition is to get to the game’s highest level, and preferably to do so with United.

This summer has been an important step along that path and a real learning opportunity. Now he will look to build on it.

Excitement surrounding the new season is slowly growing among the West Ham United fanbase, but there are lingering issues that remain hard to ignore.

The east London side will start their first Championship campaign in 15 years against Burnley, who also suffered relegation from the Premier League in May. Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is confident about their chances of sealing promotion back to the top flight at the first opportunity but, ahead of Sunday’s away fixture, there are several talking points.

For example, who is set to leave in the final two weeks of this transfer window? How likely is it that West Ham will address their lack of squad depth before the September 1 deadline? What’s the latest regarding the battle over the ownership of the club?

The Athletic has answered some of these questions.

How are West Ham shaping up ahead of their first game of the league season?

West Ham’s two victories this pre-season, against League Two side Colchester United and League One’s Stevenage, came behind closed doors at their Rush Green training ground. They also drew in friendlies against fifth-tier Southend United, Rangers of the Scottish Premiership and German second-division club FC Magdeburg.

Despite relegation, they have kept hold of club captain Jarrod Bowen, who committed his immediate future in July by signing a revised contract, while fellow key players Konstantinos Mavropanos in defence and Taty Castellanos up front are also expected to remain.

What does their opening run of fixtures look like? What are the big games to look forward to?

Although Sunday’s trip to Burnley could be a tough encounter, a positive omen for West Ham is they have not lost a league game against them in eight meetings since July 2020, winning five. Their first London derby of the season will be at home against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, August 22, before they make the short trip to Watford the following weekend.

Wolverhampton Wanderers, the third club to drop through the Premier League trapdoor last season, will visit Nuno’s side in a midweek encounter on September 1, and there will be fixtures against Derby County, Bolton Wanderers and Wrexham before West Ham reignite their bitter rivalry with south Londoners Millwall with an away game on Saturday, September 19.

The last encounter between the clubs was in February 2012, a Championship fixture which West Ham won 2-1 at Upton Park. Given the level of animosity between the fanbases, it is a fixture that has often been marred by crowd violence.

After the season’s first international break, West Ham will face another London side, Queens Park Rangers, on home soil on October 9. There will then be trips to Lincoln City and Swansea City before hosting familiar opposition in fellow former Premier League side Southampton.

The bad blood between West Ham and Sheffield United over the Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano saga has eased over the years, but the rivalry will reconvene in Yorkshire on December 4.

Which players’ futures are uncertain?

Centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, striker Niclas Fullkrug and full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all expected to leave before the transfer window shuts in just over two weeks. Sources with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, say Todibo has only attracted loan interest, while it is West Ham’s preference to sell the 26-year-old.

Clubs on the continent have also enquired about signing Fullkrug, 33, on loan but West Ham intend to sell the Germany international, who joined for £27million from Borussia Dortmund in August 2024. Aston Villa have held exploratory talks over a deal to sign Wan-Bissaka. The Athletic reported in the Transfer DealSheet on July 7 that West Ham would be open to selling the 28-year-old former Manchester United right-back and have set an asking price of £25m.

Aston Villa are keen on Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

George Earthy was an unused substitute in the first-round Carabao Cup home win against Portsmouth last weekend. The 21-year-old midfielder has loan interest from EFL clubs, but his departure is contingent on potential incomings.

Maxwel Cornet was not in the matchday squad for that match, despite being fully fit. The Ivory Coast international forward has made just 37 appearances across all competitions since joining from Burnley for £17.5million in August 2022. Now 29, he has had loan spells at Southampton and Genoa (twice) in that time, but his next departure would be a permanent exit, if West Ham have their way.

Mohamadou Kante, 20, is set to stay, despite strong interest from clubs in France’s Ligue 1. The midfielder, whose valuation is in the region of £15million to £20m, started all the pre-season games and registered an assist against Portsmouth.

The long-term futures of his fellow midfielders Edson Alvarez, 28, and Soungoutou Magassa, 22, are unclear. Magassa, whose contract doesn’t expire until 2031 after arriving last summer for around £17.5million from Monaco of Ligue 1, has been absent from recent matchday squads due to a knock.

What do West Ham still need to do before the window shuts?

West Ham’s lack of depth was reflected in the Portsmouth game, with five young academy graduates — Earthy, Ezra Mayers, Kaelan Casey, Airidas Golambeckis and Joshua Ajala — on the nine-man bench.

They need to strengthen in central defence, in wide areas and up front. Mavropanos and Maximilian Kilman are the recognised first-choice centre-backs, with summer addition Joel Veltman also able to play that position as well as right-back. Bowen and Manor Solomon, a new signing from Tottenham Hotspur, are the only proven wingers currently available to Nuno, while Castellanos and Pablo are the main forward options.

West Ham are confident of completing a move for Scottish champions Celtic’s 22-year-old Belgium international midfielder or right-back Arne Engels in a deal worth around £22million, which would be their biggest outlay of the summer so far.

West Ham are looking to sign Celtic midfielder Arne Engels, who had five goals and three assists in 30 league games last season (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“We have to be patient,” Nuno said on Friday in his pre-Burnley press conference. “We want players with the right mindset. We don’t have much time, but we have to get it right.

“We are aware we need more bodies but, meanwhile, we have to be ready for everything. All the players who are here, they know what we think and expect. The window is open, so anything can happen.”

Following relegation, West Ham have cashed in on Mateus Fernandes, selling him to Tottenham for £85million, Crysencio Summerville went to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal for just north of £60m and Freddie Potts has been sold to Club Brugge for a reported fee of around £10m.

What’s the latest on the ownership situation?

Earlier this month, Vanessa Gold said she had agreed to sell her 25.1 per cent stake to a consortium led by former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley.

Daniel Kretinsky, who bought 27 per cent of West Ham in 2021, had initially arranged to purchase shares from the Gold family in the wake of David Sullivan’s resignation as joint-chair in June following accusations of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour against women over several decades, and has since attempted to prevent Staveley’s deal from being completed.

The Czech billionaire still intends to become West Ham’s majority shareholder and discussions are ongoing.