James Trafford Bidik Posisi Utama di Newcastle United

Keinginan mendapatkan posisi utama mendorong James Trafford membuka peluang hengkang dari Manchester City di tengah pendekatan intensif Newcastle United pada Rabu (17/6/2026).

Kiper berusia 23 tahun tersebut dilaporkan menjadi target jangka panjang The Magpies guna memperkuat sektor pertahanan mereka di bawah asuhan Eddie Howe. Berdasarkan laporan dari The Athletic, manajemen City telah menetapkan nilai pasar sang pemain sebesar 40 juta poundsterling setelah posisinya tergeser oleh Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Saat ini, Trafford sedang fokus bersama skuad tim nasional Inggris di Amerika Serikat untuk menghadapi kompetisi Piala Dunia 2026. Di sela-sela persiapannya, ia merefleksikan situasi manajerial klubnya yang baru saja ditinggal oleh Pep Guardiola.

"Everyone knows he was an incredible manager, probably one of the best, if not the best to ever manage," kata James Trafford, Penjaga Gawang Manchester City.

Meski manajemen klub belum memberikan pengumuman resmi mengenai kedatangan Enzo Maresca, Trafford meyakini seluruh pemain akan bersikap profesional. Dirinya menegaskan bahwa adaptasi penuh akan langsung dilakukan di bawah arahan nakhoda baru.

"Whatever happens next season in terms of the manager, because obviously nothing’s been confirmed, then all the players work under that manager, it’s just how football goes." ujar James Trafford, Penjaga Gawang Manchester City.

Kepergian pelatih asal Katalan tersebut diakui membawa kesedihan mendalam bagi segenap penggawa City. Namun, ia memahami bahwa dinamika perpindahan figur merupakan hal yang lumrah dalam industri sepak bola.

"When Pep left, it was obviously sad, because he’s obviously so successful – and a lot of the new lads, we all really, really enjoyed him. But it’s just football that everyone moves on at certain points." tutur James Trafford, Penjaga Gawang Manchester City.

Saga transfer ini mencuat setelah Trafford jarang mendapatkan kesempatan tampil sejak didatangkan kembali dari Burnley. Ia mengakui realitas tersebut tidak sesuai dengan target pribadinya di awal musim.

"It (being No. 2) wasn’t what I expected," kata James Trafford, Penjaga Gawang Manchester City.

Meski demikian, kiper kelahiran Carlisle tersebut berkomitmen untuk tetap memberikan penampilan terbaik dalam setiap kesempatan. Ia memandang situasi sulit ini sebagai bagian dari tantangan profesional yang harus dihadapi.

“I tried to guard against the situation happening, but it’s the reality. I know every time I play, I’ve got to give it my best shot and try to win and try to improve. That’s the current situation I’m in.” jelas James Trafford, Penjaga Gawang Manchester City.

Ambisi besar untuk mengamankan posisi di tim nasional Inggris di bawah asuhan Thomas Tuchel turut memengaruhi keputusannya. Trafford menyadari status sebagai kiper cadangan di level klub akan mempersulit langkahnya bersaing dengan Jordan Pickford.

"History says yeah," kata James Trafford, Penjaga Gawang Manchester City.

Ia merujuk pada catatan sejarah turnamen internasional di mana negara-negara unggulan selalu mengandalkan penjaga gawang utama di klub masing-masing.

"There hasn’t been a goalie start for any of the top nations that isn’t a number one at the club." ujar James Trafford, Penjaga Gawang Manchester City.

Sepanjang musim 2025/2026, Trafford tercatat hanya tampil dalam 17 pertandingan di semua kompetisi domestik. Walau harus melewati masa-masa penuh tantangan, ia merasa telah berkembang secara personal.

"It’s been challenging the past season, but looking back, I’ve learned so much, I’ve developed so much. I thought I’d had a lot of experiences up to this point in my career, but this was a new experience for me," ungkap James Trafford, Penjaga Gawang Manchester City.

Upaya mempertahankan motivasi kerja keras di tempat latihan terus dilakukannya setiap hari. Langkah tersebut diambil demi memastikan performanya tetap berada di level tertinggi saat dipercaya tampil.

"It was tough. Some days were harder than others, but the one thing I wanted to keep doing was keep winning and improving every day." tutur James Trafford, Penjaga Gawang Manchester City.

Ketangguhannya di bawah mistar gawang turut andil membawa Manchester City memenangkan trofi Piala FA dan Piala Carabao. Keberhasilan tersebut diraih meskipun rencana awalnya buyar menyusul keputusan klub merekrut Donnarumma dari Paris Saint-Germain.

"I kept doing that and I came out the season having played a part in winning the two trophies that we did. It was a challenging season, but I learned a lot for myself and for going forward in my career. You have still got to perform at the highest level, and when I did move, if I would have become England’s number one for the tournament, it would have been brilliant. I’d have been very happy [being City's No.1], but obviously I didn’t." papar James Trafford, Penjaga Gawang Manchester City.

Pada akhirnya, Trafford memilih bersikap realistis menghadapi persaingan internal di Stadion Etihad.

"They ended up signing Gigi, and I didn’t play the majority of the games, and that’s football," kata James Trafford, Penjaga Gawang Manchester City.

Bursa transfer musim panas ini diyakini akan menjadi penentu kelanjutan karier sang pemain, dengan minat yang datang pula dari Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, dan Chelsea. Trafford menegaskan fokusnya saat ini adalah terus berkembang sambil memantau peluang di masa depan.

"The two trophies were nice. Every day I just thought, ‘Keep improving, keep trying to win the day, and see where it takes me’." pungkas James Trafford, Penjaga Gawang Manchester City.

Sebagai langkah antisipasi kepergian Trafford, manajemen City dilaporkan mulai membidik mantan pemain akademinya yang kini membela Sheffield Wednesday, Pierce Charles. Ketertarikan City mendapat respons dari Manajer Sheffield Wednesday, Henrik Pedersen, yang menegaskan tekad klub untuk memagari kiper muda berbakat tersebut.

"In the big picture we want to be a club that can find and develop talent, let them be effective in the first team and make a sustainable financial model. For Pierce, we will all do all that we can to keep him in this phase here." kata Henrik Pedersen, Manajer Sheffield Wednesday.

Pedersen menambahkan bahwa seluruh elemen klub berkomitmen penuh untuk mempertahankan Charles yang kontraknya akan memasuki tahun terakhir. Eksistensi sang penjaga gawang dinilai sangat vital bagi masa depan tim.

"He is a part of our identity and we would love to have him as a part of our future. I know David and everyone loves him – and that everyone will do everything to keep him. Let’s see what happens when the season is done." ujar Henrik Pedersen, Manajer Sheffield Wednesday.