Global surprise, the player who leaves City for $20 million and saddens Guardiola

Manchester City had a perfect 2022/23 season. They won the Champions League for the first time after beating Inter in the final in Istanbul. This, added to the Premier League and FA Cup titles, allowed them to win the long-awaited treble. And all this was achieved thanks to an eye-catching and attacking game that captivated spectators all over the world.

However, after the title, the news for the Citizens has not been good. First they lost one of their stars, İlkay Gündoğan, who left as a free agent after finishing his contract with the club and has already signed with Barcelona. Then Rodolfo Borell, one of Guardiola's assistants, left and accepted a proposal to become the sports manager of Austin FC in MLS.

And now the departure of one of the club's young talents, James Trafford, has been added. The English goalkeeper stood out in the U-21 European Championship and aroused the interest of Burnley, which according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, will pay more than $20 million for him. The curious thing is that the player has not even played a single game at Manchester City and will already be transferred for a fortune.

Not so bad

Although he was left without a player from the squad, the news may make Guardiola happy. Because after the departure of Trafford, the money received by the Citizens can be allocated to other signings that interest the coach and that could help raise the level of the team. One of them is Croatian defender Joško Gvardiol, who excelled with his national team during the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Manchester City would be willing to pay a fortune for the Red Bull Leipzig player, who could become the most expensive defender in history.