{"id":1268563,"date":"2025-07-30T15:40:24","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T14:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1268563"},"modified":"2025-07-31T09:10:46","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T08:10:46","slug":"academy-graduates-return-big-money","status":"publish","type":"cult-corner","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/cult-corner\/academy-graduates-return-big-money\/","title":{"rendered":"11 clubs who spent millions re-signing their own ex-academy talents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For supporters there’s no greater joy than seeing a homegrown player come through the ranks and establish themselves as a first-team regular.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, not every academy graduate makes it (see Chelsea in the 2010s), but there are examples of those who flew the nest and then returned years later. James Trafford is an extremely recent example. The goalkeeper joined Manchester City in 2015, at the age of 12, but was sold to Burnley eight years later — without a senior appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After two years at the Clarets, Trafford is back with Man City and looks set to be their first-choice goalkeeper. In light of that, here are several other players who returned to where it all began — but those reunions certainly proved costly…<\/p>\n\n\n

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