Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford is reportedly keen on a move to Aston Villa rather than Newcastle this summer.
The England Under-21 international has struggled for minutes since joining Man City in the summer, with Gianluigi Donnarumma clearly ahead of him in the pecking order.
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This has linked Trafford with Newcastle by talkSPORT, but it now appears his wish could be to move to Villa Park instead.
According to Football Insider, this is because Trafford are keen to work with Villa manager Unai Emery, as well as looking more likely to offer Champions League football next season.
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Trafford looked a great player for his former club Burnley, but has been a bit unlucky at the Etihad Stadium so far.
When Trafford first joined City in the summer, it looked like he would likely become the club’s number one, but a poor start meant Donnarumma later joined when he became available.
It will be interesting to see how Trafford recovers from this, but it’s understandable that he will need to leave City to have a chance of becoming a regular player.
James Trafford instead of Emiliano Martinez?
Of course, there is no guarantee that Emiliano Martinez’s presence will make Trafford number one at Villa.
Still, the experienced Argentine has been linked with a move in recent days, with separate reports from Football Insider suggesting Manchester United could be back in the hunt for him.
With Martinez not getting any younger, it might be a good time for AVFC to make a change anyway and bring in a talented young keeper like Trafford as a wise long-term investment.
The 23-year-old looks like a good opportunity on the market and if it’s true that he really wants to play for Villa, they should do everything they can to take advantage of it.
