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Leeds United transfer news: James Trafford deal breaks Elland Road and British football history James Trafford has become the most expensive signing in Leeds United history as they look to end what has become a problem position for them. Trafford has finally completed what had been a long-trailed move to Elland Road as he looks to kick on a career which unexpectedly stalled in 2025-26. For his new club, it is about at last having a clear No 1 goalkeeper again. It is a measure of how highly the Cumbrian is rated that the undisclosed fee Leeds are paying Manchester City is understood to be around £40m plus add-ons for a goalkeeper who has only made 32 Premier League appearances. It makes him the most expensive goalkeeper in the history of British football, breaking the record he set when rejoining City 12 months ago for £27m. It is also an indication of how the Whites' focus is on quality rather than quality this season as they look to kick on after a campaign consolidating their place in the top-flight. Their only other signings so far this summer have been centre-back Tarik Muharemovic for just under the £35m they paid for Georginio Rutter in January 2023, plus long-term target Harry Wilson on a Bosman free transfer. Alex Cairns, last season's fourth choice, started all three of Leeds' three pre-season tour matches in America following the departures at the end of their contracts of Illan Meslier and Karl Darlow. Meslier's release was instigated by Leeds, Darlow's very much not. On top of that, Lucas Perri is expected to join Torino on loan. A £14m signing last summer, Brazilian Perri was bought to be Leeds' new No 1 but hampered by injuries and error-prone in his first full season, he lost that status midway through the campaign to Darlow, now at Manchester United. Meslier kicked off the previous campaign, but again it was Darlow who ended it as first-choice. Dropped by then-manager Sam Allardyce at the end of 2023-24 as mistakes racked up, he suffered the same fate under successor Daniel Farke in 2024-25. Trafford has long been regarded as one of English football's brightest goalkeeping talents and Manchester City took just 12-months to exercise their buy-back clause after selling him to Burnley on the back of a successful season-long loan. He went to Turf Moor on the back of six clean sheets and a stoppage-time penalty save in the final as England won the 2023 European Under-21 Championship, yet was more highly regarded for his excellent footwork than his glovework. The Clarets were relegated in his first season but once his loan was made permanent in the summer of 2024, he became part of a record-breaking defensive unit as they won automatic promotion with the Leeds on the back of a season where both reached exactly 100 points. Burnley conceded a Football League record low of 16 goals in 46 games. Along the way, Trafford broke another record with 11 consecutive clean sheets. At the time he moved back to Eastlands it was widely assumed – almost certainly by Trafford too – that City had bought a replacement for Ederson, but on deadline day they signed Gianluigi Donnarumma. Whilst Trafford was the regular goalkeeper for City's FA and League Cup-winning teams, he did not play Premier or Champions League football again until the final day of the season, when his club's fate had already been decided. The 23-year-old was named in England's World Cup squad but he and Kobbie Mainoo, who missed the third-place play-off through injury, were the only members not to play a minute. Newcastle United also showed an interest in signing Trafford this summer but it quickly became clear he wanted to join Leeds and with City closing in on Geronimo Rulli as a replacement, the deal has finally been waved through.