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 successful the England team.

He has kept 44 cleanable sheets successful his 91 caps and has made 33 large tourney appearances, including 2 European Championship finals.

But the Everton goalkeeper volition beryllium 34 by the clip Euro 2028 begins - truthful it is lone earthy for thoughts to crook to who could instrumentality implicit from him.

The different goalkeepers successful England's World Cup squad were Nottingham Forest's Dean Henderson - who was astir apt regarded arsenic Pickford's understudy arsenic helium played successful the third-place play-off - and James Trafford of Manchester City.

Trafford is closing successful connected a £40m determination to Leeds United that would marque the 23-year-old 1 of the astir costly goalkeepers successful past - lone Kepa Arrizabalaga (£68m), Alisson (£62m) and Andre Onana (£43m) person outgo more.

This latest big-money determination and apt starting spot astatine a high-profile nine volition bring Trafford's quality astatine the apical level regular exposure.

The reported £40m interest is 1 Daniel Farke appears blessed to wage contempt Trafford's constricted crippled clip astatine Manchester City past play - 17 appearances successful each competitions, but lone 4 successful the Premier League.

So, Leeds would beryllium paying for the precocious ceiling of a young goalkeeper whose highlights person mostly travel successful the Championship with Burnley erstwhile helium conceded lone 16 goals successful 45 matches.

Lauded arsenic "world class" by his past manager Scott Parker, Trafford's 29 cleanable sheets and 84.47% prevention ratio were integral to the Clarets' promotion to the Premier League successful 2024-25.

Trafford, though, is yet to afloat found his estimation astatine the highest level of nine football.

The lad of a farming household from Cockermouth successful Cumbria, Trafford came done City's academy earlier joining Burnley for an archetypal interest of £15m successful the summertime of 2023.

However, helium conceded 67 goals successful lone 28 matches earlier losing his spot towards the extremity of the 2023-24 season.

After starring successful Burnley's palmy promotion successful 2024-25, Trafford returned to City for £27m past summertime with the anticipation of being Pep Guardiola's fig one.

Instead, City signed Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris St-Germain conscionable 4 weeks aft Trafford's accomplishment and helium became 2nd prime - a script that has prompted his determination to Elland Road.

If the determination goes done it volition mean £82m has been spent connected Trafford successful archetypal transportation fees since joining Burnley 3 years ago.

He has lone played 32 top-flight games successful total, but erstwhile Clarets brag Parker antecedently praised his turnaround astatine Turf Moor earlier moving to Etihad Stadium.

"There's nary denying astatine the opening of the 2024-25 season, determination was a batch of enactment to bash with 'Traff'," Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire past April.

"He needed to instrumentality a enactment and instrumentality banal and determine wherever helium wanted to be. There's nary denying that he's a world-class keeper."

Pickford is the antheral successful possession aft helping England scope the World Cup semi-finals for lone the 4th clip this summer.

Thomas Tuchel spoke of his admiration for some Trafford and Henderson aft helium was appointed England manager successful 2024.

Trafford made his England debut successful the 1-1 gully with Uruguay successful March but Pickford played each infinitesimal of the World Cup until the crippled against France, erstwhile Henderson started.

In doing truthful helium surpassed Peter Shilton's England grounds of 17 World Cup appearances, ending the tourney connected 19.

After England defeated Mexico successful the World Cup past 16 earlier this month, erstwhile England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said: "I deliberation he's the archetypal sanction connected the squad sheet. There is cipher else."

Pickford has made 14 appearances astatine European Championships, portion helium has saved 4 of the 14 penalties helium has faced successful large tourney shoot-outs, guiding England to wins against Colombia successful the 2018 World Cup and against Switzerland successful the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.

The erstwhile Sunderland subordinate has been accordant implicit 9 campaigns with Everton, winning the club's player-of-the-season grant 3 times successful a enactment arsenic they battled relegation betwixt 2021 and 2024.

The 32-year-old has played 362 Premier League games successful total, keeping 98 cleanable sheets and redeeming astir 70% of the shots helium has faced - including 86% from extracurricular the box.

Over the past 2 seasons, lone Arsenal's David Raya has kept much Premier League cleanable sheets.

Pickford besides won the competition's save-of-the-season grant for a 2nd clip past play pursuing a remarkable reactionary stop, external from Sandro Tonali's volley to unafraid Everton's 3-2 triumph astatine St James' Park successful February.

Comparing Pickford and Trafford straight is not straightforward due to the fact that of the latter's comparative deficiency of elite-level football. However Leeds' prospective caller signing has besides starred connected the planetary signifier - albeit for England's age-group sides.

He played each infinitesimal of the 2023 Under-21 European Championship arsenic England won the rubric for the first clip successful 39 years without conceding a azygous goal.

In Premier League terms, adjacent erstwhile discounting the gulf successful experience, Pickford boasts an undeniable edge.

Since Trafford made his top-flight debut successful 2023-24, Pickford has prevented acold much goals - contempt facing a higher prime of changeable - and has a amended prevention percentage.

Trafford has truthful acold failed to forestall immoderate expected goals successful Premier League shot arsenic defined by Opta.

So portion Trafford volition anticipation his imaginable high-profile determination volition assistance him adhd to his 2 England caps, helium has enactment to bash to nudge Pickford arsenic England's first-choice goalkeeper.