Why Burnley are paying £19m for England U21 goalkeeper James Trafford

The 20-year-old won the UEFA Euro U21 2023

James Trafford is set to sign for Premier League newcomers Burnley in the summer. Manchester City's young goalkeeper came into the limelight after some heroic performances in the recently concluded UEFA Euro U21 2023 championship.

Vincent Kompany's men are expected to sign the youngster for an initial £15 million fee and £4 million as add-ons.

This could be a gamble as the player has no Premier League experience. However, Kompany had a team full of young talent and he won the EFL Championship with them.

Burnley are willing to pay an initial fee that equals the club's record transfer spend on an individual. According to the Mail, a 20 per cent sell-on clause is likely to be added once both clubs come to a formal agreement.

Everyone got a chance to see Trafford playing in the Euro U21. He was the number-one choice for Lee Carsley to defend his team's goal.

The 20-year-old showed his full potential and kept six clean sheets in as many games. He even proved his worth by saving a crucial penalty in injury and stoppage time in the final match. This kept his clean sheets record intact and the young Three Lions finished the tournament without conceding a goal.

James Trafford is officially a Manchester City player. He started his senior career at Accrington Stanley in League One during the 2021-22 season.

Then the keeper was loaned out to Bolton Wanderers, where he spent the past 18 months. He won the EFL trophy with the club in 2022-23.

Last season, he featured in 47 games for Bolton. Trafford managed to keep 22 clean sheets and made 135 saves. He even kept a clean sheet in eight consecutive home games and this was a club record.

Now with an international title to his name, he will be keen to add Premier League experience and break into the senior team. The deal could be sealed once the player returns back.