Aston Villa have jumped into the race for James Trafford, with Leeds United and Newcastle United also circling. According to Football Insider, quite a few clubs want Trafford this summer. Since joining Manchester City, things haven’t exactly gone his way. Trafford ended up stuck behind Gianluigi Donnarumma, and now Villa are the latest team looking to snap him up, joining Leeds and Newcastle, who’ve shown interest for a while.

Last summer, Newcastle really pushed to sign Trafford from Burnley. But in the end, he chose to head back to Manchester City. The city paid £27 million to bring him back, hoping he’d be their new No. 1. Then, out of nowhere, Donnarumma became available late in the window. City grabbed the Italian, and Trafford got bumped to the bench. For a guy who wanted to break into the England squad, sitting out games has been tough, and it puts his international hopes in doubt this summer.

Trafford’s ready to move on now. There were already rumours about him leaving in January, but City weren’t interested in letting him go back then. Instead, they allowed Stefan Ortega to join Nottingham Forest. With regular playing time now a priority, Trafford’s looking at his options, and several clubs are lining up to make a move.

Newcastle are still keen; they’re probably thinking about bringing Trafford in and letting go of Aaron Ramsdale, who’s only there on loan. Leeds also wants to strengthen their squad, assuming it stays in the Premier League. But both face some real competition from Aston Villa.

Villa might actually have the edge here. Unlike Leeds and Newcastle, who both have solid goalkeepers already, Villa’s situation is up in the air. Emiliano Martinez could leave this summer, and if that happens, the No. 1 spot would be wide open for Trafford. Plus, Villa are set for European football next season. If they need a new first-choice keeper, Trafford fits the bill. If Villa really go after him, you have to think they’re the favourites to get the deal done.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke says Manchester City are leading the race to sign Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson. Newcastle? They’re not really in the running. Eddie Howe has made it clear he’d love to bring Anderson back, and honestly, he didn’t want to let him go in the first place when Forest bought him in 2024.

Since then, Anderson’s gone up a level. He’s become one of Forest’s standout players and, really, one of the best central midfielders in the league right now. No surprise he’s attracting attention; there’s a long list of clubs that want him this summer. Manchester City look like the favourites if Anderson decides to move on.

Newcastle’s chances? Pretty slim. Without Champions League football, and with financial rules like PSR and FFP in play, they just can’t match the kind of money Forest will want, likely around £100 million. It seems out of reach for them.

Anderson’s numbers back up the hype. He’s been solid all season for Forest, playing 32 games across all competitions, notching a goal and a couple of assists. Those stats don’t even tell the full story. He’s been a key presence in midfield, breaking up play, picking passes, and just generally making things happen. He doesn’t shy away from a tackle and isn’t afraid to take a shot from a distance, either.

His contract runs until 2029, so Forest aren’t under pressure to sell, and nobody’s getting him for cheap. But if City want him, they have the resources to make it happen.

Would he fit in at City? Absolutely. He’s got Premier League experience, plenty of energy, and the kind of vision Pep Guardiola loves in his midfielders. At 23, he’s still got his best years ahead of him. If City pull this off, they’re getting a player who could make an immediate impact and just keep getting better. For them, Anderson really does look like the perfect signing this summer.