talkSPORT pundit makes sensational claim regarding Leeds United star live on air
LeedsAllOver · Niall Togher · 2026-08-18T18:03:02+00:00 · nguồn gốc
Leeds United have made three signings so far this summer. Nico Elvedi looks to be on the brink of becoming United’s fourth.
Plenty of pundits have had their say on the transfer business we have conducted this summer. Dougie Critchley recently claimed not many teams in Europe have improved as much as Leeds this summer.
The praise for our transfer business does not stop there, however. Kevin Hatchard, a Bundesliga commentator, labelled the potential Elvedi deal as a “smart signing” for United.
Now, a talkSPORT pundit has recently made a sensational claim regarding James Trafford live on air.
Adrian Durham makes incredible James Trafford claim
After signing for a club record £40million, understandably, Leeds fans have been excited by their new arrival.
The promising signs we have seen from the shot-stopper in pre-season have only seen our expectations for Trafford increase even further.
The man who took Trafford’s place in the team at Manchester City last season, Gianluigi Donnarumma, got his season off to a disastrous start, on the other hand. The Italian was arguably at fault for all three Arsenal goals as Man City lost in the Community Shield.
This has led talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham to make a controversial comparison between the two ‘keepers.
“Donnarumma, I think, is fairly average. (Kai) Havertz didn’t really score; it was a Donnarumma own goal. (Martin) Odegaard’s goal looks like a bit of genius, and I’m not taking it away from Odegaard, but he (Donnarumma) just sits down; it’s like having me in goal.
“I think his distribution is abysmal. In the meantime, James Trafford has gone off to Leeds for £40million. In their friendly at the weekend, he was playing like (Franz) Beckenbauer with the ball at his feet; he was phenomenal.
“I reckon if Pep (Guardiola) had kept his nerve and gone with Trafford last season instead of Donnarumma, then City would’ve won the title. I also think had he gone with Trafford, he would’ve been England’s number one as well and the equaliser against Argentina wouldn’t have been scored.
“Nobody can prove me wrong, it’s all hypothetical, but I don’t think Donnarumma is as good as people genuinely think he is,” Durham said.
Up to James Trafford to prove Manchester City wrong whilst at Leeds United
Whilst I don’t completley agree with Durham’s slander of Donnarumma, I do believe that ultimately, Man City will regret selling Trafford and placing their faith in the Italian instead.
I have a feeling Donnarumma will end up leaving Man City in a year or two, and Guardiola’s decision to bench Trafford for him last year will ultimately come back to bite them.
Especially when, in a year or two, after getting regular game time at Leeds, there is every chance that Trafford becomes England’s first-choice goalkeeper.
I wouldn’t go as far as Durham did in his assessment, but I do believe Donnarumma is a bit overrated as a goalkeeper.
Now, it’s on Trafford to prove that his former club did make a mistake in selling him, and that starts this weekend against Nottingham Forest in our first Premier League game of the season.