Would Leeds move help Trafford oust Pickford from England team?

ByMatthew Hobbs

BBC Sport journalist

Since the 2018 World Cup, Jordan Pickford has been a fixture in the England team.

He has kept 44 clean sheets in his 91 caps and has made 33 major tournament appearances, including two European Championship finals.

But the Everton goalkeeper will be 34 by the time Euro 2028 begins - so it is only natural for thoughts to turn to who could take over from him.

The other goalkeepers in England's World Cup squad were Nottingham Forest's Dean Henderson - who was probably regarded as Pickford's understudy as he played in the third-place play-off - and James Trafford of Manchester City.

Trafford is closing in on a £40m move to Leeds United that would make the 23-year-old one of the most expensive goalkeepers in history - only Kepa Arrizabalaga (£68m), Alisson (£62m) and Andre Onana (£43m) have cost more.

This latest big-money move and likely starting place at a high-profile club will bring Trafford's ability at the top level regular exposure.

The reported £40m fee is one Daniel Farke appears happy to pay despite Trafford's limited game time at Manchester City last season - 17 appearances in all competitions, but only four in the Premier League.

So, Leeds would be paying for the high ceiling of a young goalkeeper whose highlights have largely come in the Championship with Burnley when he conceded only 16 goals in 45 matches.

Lauded as "world class" by his then manager Scott Parker, Trafford's 29 clean sheets and 84.47% save ratio were integral to the Clarets' promotion to the Premier League in 2024-25.

Trafford, though, is yet to fully establish his reputation at the highest level of club football.

The son of a farming family from Cockermouth in Cumbria, Trafford came through City's academy before joining Burnley for an initial fee of £15m in the summer of 2023.

However, he conceded 67 goals in only 28 matches before losing his place towards the end of the 2023-24 season.

After starring in Burnley's successful promotion in 2024-25, Trafford returned to City for £27m last summer with the hope of being Pep Guardiola's number one.

Instead, City signed Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris St-Germain just four weeks after Trafford's arrival and he became second choice - a scenario that has prompted his move to Elland Road.

If the move goes through it will mean £82m has been spent on Trafford in initial transfer fees since joining Burnley three years ago.

He has only played 32 top-flight games in total, but former Clarets boss Parker previously praised his turnaround at Turf Moor before moving to Etihad Stadium.

"There's no denying at the beginning of the 2024-25 season, there was a lot of work to do with 'Traff'," Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire last April.

"He needed to take a breath and take stock and decide where he wanted to be. There's no denying that he's a world-class keeper."

Pickford is the man in possession after helping England reach the World Cup semi-finals for only the fourth time this summer.

Thomas Tuchel spoke of his admiration for both Trafford and Henderson after he was appointed England manager in 2024.

Trafford made his England debut in the 1-1 draw with Uruguay in March but Pickford played every minute of the World Cup until the game against France, when Henderson started.

In doing so he surpassed Peter Shilton's England record of 17 World Cup appearances, ending the tournament on 19.

After England defeated Mexico in the World Cup last 16 earlier this month, former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said: "I think he's the first name on the team sheet. There is nobody else."

Pickford has made 14 appearances at European Championships, while he has saved four of the 14 penalties he has faced in major tournament shoot-outs, guiding England to wins against Colombia in the 2018 World Cup and against Switzerland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.

The former Sunderland player has been consistent over nine campaigns with Everton, winning the club's player-of-the-season award three times in a row as they battled relegation between 2021 and 2024.

The 32-year-old has played 362 Premier League games in total, keeping 98 clean sheets and saving almost 70% of the shots he has faced - including 86% from outside the box.

Over the past two seasons, only Arsenal's David Raya has kept more Premier League clean sheets.

Pickford also won the competition's save-of-the-season award for a second time last season following a remarkable reactionary stop, external from Sandro Tonali's volley to secure Everton's 3-2 win at St James' Park in February.

Comparing Pickford and Trafford directly is not straightforward because of the latter's relative lack of elite-level football. However Leeds' prospective new signing has also starred on the international stage - albeit for England's age-group sides.

He played every minute of the 2023 Under-21 European Championship as England won the title for the first time in 39 years without conceding a single goal.

In Premier League terms, even when discounting the gulf in experience, Pickford boasts an undeniable edge.

Since Trafford made his top-flight debut in 2023-24, Pickford has prevented far more goals - despite facing a higher quality of shot - and has a better save percentage.

Trafford has so far failed to prevent any expected goals in Premier League football as defined by Opta.

So while Trafford will hope his possible high-profile move will help him add to his two England caps, he has work to do to nudge Pickford as England's first-choice goalkeeper.