Guardiola Rules Out January Exit for James Trafford

Overview

• Pep Guardiola said Trafford will “absolutely” stay through the January window and confirmed he will be with the squad for the season.
• Gianluigi Donnarumma remains the established No. 1, a hierarchy Guardiola acknowledged while praising Trafford as “incredible.”
• Trafford is set for a Carabao Cup quarter-final start against Brentford, which would be just his fourth appearance since Donnarumma’s arrival.
• The goalkeeper has not started a Premier League match since August and was left out of England’s November squad, fueling recent transfer speculation.
• City have downplayed a short-term move, with reporting indicating a preference to keep Trafford and reassess longer-term plans as Stefan Ortega’s 2026 contract end approaches.