Manchester City woke up to the kind of news that sends fear through the halls of a football club, the kind of news that makes even the most powerful managers stop, hold their breath and wonder what just went wrong behind the scenes. A normal December night turned into a nightmare for the blue side of Manchester when reports began to break that not one but two Manchester City players, both in the same position, both important in their own ways, had decided they wanted to leave the club immediately. Not in the summer, not in June, not at the end of the season. They wanted out in January, in the middle of the season, at a point where City are fighting on all fronts and need stability more than anything. What started as a calm evening suddenly became a storm that shook the Etihad from the inside.
The shocking part was not just that two players had made this decision. The shocking part was that the two players were goalkeepers. The same department that already saw a massive shake-up in the summer. The same position that goes to the very heart of City’s playing style under Pep Guardiola, a manager who builds his entire empire on possession, precision, composure, and a goalkeeper who behaves like an extra midfielder. City never want drama in the goalkeeper area, but this time the drama came in double dose.
It started with the story of James Trafford, the young goalkeeper who many believed would be the long term future of Manchester City. Trafford, the same goalkeeper who left City for Burnley and turned into one of the breakout stars of English football last season, came back to the Etihad in a £27 million deal in the summer. City used a matching rights clause to bring him back, beating Newcastle to his signature. It was a strong move, a confident move, a move that told the world City believed in the boy. Trafford himself believed the same thing. The moment he signed, the moment he walked through the training ground again, the moment he saw his name printed on a Manchester City shirt again, he thought this was home. He thought this was the start of his story. He thought he would finally get the chance to stand in goal for the club he grew up in.
For the first few weeks of the season, it looked like everything would go according to plan. Trafford started the first three Premier League matches. Pep Guardiola seemed ready to trust him. The fans were excited. England boss Thomas Tuchel was watching closely. Everything was moving in the right direction, then suddenly everything changed. City moved for Gianluigi Donnarumma on deadline day. £26 million for one of the biggest names in world football. One of the most famous keepers on the planet. A European Championship winner. A Champions League-level shot stopper. The moment that deal was completed, Trafford’s world turned upside down.
He went from potential No.1 to benchwarmer in a split second. Donnarumma came in like a giant shadow covering everything around him. Trafford, the confident young Englishman, became invisible overnight. Weeks passed. Matches passed. Pep was choosing Donnarumma every time. Trafford sat on the bench with his gloves unused, watching the Italian perform save after save. No mistakes, no weaknesses, no reason for Pep to change his decision. Trafford kept waiting but the opportunity never came.
Then reality hit him harder. England were watching. Thomas Tuchel made it clear in public interviews that he will not pick any goalkeeper who is not playing regular football. Trafford suddenly saw his World Cup dream slipping away. The competition for England places was fierce. Every minute mattered. And here he was, trapped on the bench at Manchester City, watching his future escape from his hands.
That is when the decision came. According to reliable reports, Trafford is ready to leave Manchester City in January. He is ready to walk away just five months after he returned. He is ready to take a massive gamble because staying at City could destroy his international career. He does not want to be forgotten, he does not want to become the goalkeeper who never played, he does not want to wait for a chance that may never come. Trafford wants first team football and he wants it now.
But the twist in the story is that he is not the only one. Stefan Ortega, another goalkeeper loved by the fans, respected by Pep, and crucial in City’s 2023/24 Premier League title win, is also ready to go. Ortega nearly left in the summer but the deal collapsed. He stayed, hoping to fight for minutes, but instead he has fallen down the pecking order even more. Once City’s trusted backup, once linked with Bayern Munich, once seen as one of the best No.2s in Europe, Ortega is now City’s fourth choice goalkeeper. Fourth choice. Something nobody could have predicted a year ago.
Ederson left for Fenerbahce. Trafford returned. Marcus Bettinelli arrived. Donnarumma came in as the superstar signing. Suddenly Ortega was pushed further and further down. In fact, things became so bad that he does not even travel with the squad for away matches anymore. He trains, he sits, he waits, but he knows his name is not coming up on the lineup sheet anytime soon. A goalkeeper of his quality cannot accept that. A competitor like Ortega cannot sit quietly. So just like Trafford, he wants to leave in January too.
That is when Manchester City realised they were facing a crisis bigger than expected. Two goalkeepers. Both unhappy. Both wanting out. Both important in their own different ways. And the January transfer window was only weeks away. Newcastle are already preparing a move for Trafford. The Magpies followed his career for years and wanted him badly in the summer. They still want him. They have Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale, but they still believe Trafford can be their long-term No.1. Now they see the perfect opportunity. Trafford wants minutes. Newcastle can offer minutes. The transfer feels possible.
Ortega on the other hand had interest from Bayern before. Other clubs in Germany and Spain are watching him. They know he is too good to sit on the bench. His departure is also very possible. So imagine the nightmare for Manchester City. Imagine losing two keepers in one month. Imagine depending on Donnarumma alone at the busiest period of the season.
And even Donnarumma himself is not perfect. He may be brilliant in goal, but his discipline has been shocking. He already has four yellow cards and is one booking away from becoming the first goalkeeper in Premier League history to receive a suspension for five early-season yellow cards. Pep Guardiola was asked about the problem. Pep did not say much. In fact, he only said, “No, he is adult enough,” in one of the shortest press conferences he ever gave. A two-minute press conference. Reporters were stunned. Pep looked frustrated but calm. Maybe he knew more than he wanted to say.
The pressure around City’s goalkeeping department is huge. A wrong move could destroy their season. A suspension could come at the wrong time. An injury could create disaster. The January window could leave them short. And the players are already making decisions behind the scenes. City are walking into a period of chaos. A period where everything needs to be managed with precision. A period where any mistake can be punished heavily.
The fans are worried. They remember how important Ortega was in previous seasons. They remember how excited they were about Trafford. They are unsure about depending only on Donnarumma. They know Pep needs balance, stability, and a goalkeeper he trusts with every pass and every moment. And now, right in the middle of the season, everything looks like it is falling apart.
This is the nightmare scenario City never wanted. Trafford wants to leave. Ortega wants to leave. Donnarumma is one yellow card away from suspension. Bettinelli is untested. The January transfer window could open a door that leaves City exposed. The situation is complex, emotional, and dangerous. Nobody knows how it will end. But one thing is certain: Manchester City must make decisions fast because time is ticking, and the storm is already here.
