Fabrizio Roman believes in goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, to replace Ederson if he leaves Manchester City.
Ederson has enjoyed his time at the Etihad. The Brazilian has been City’s man in goal for 7 years. The 30-year old goalkeeper won a UEFA Champions League, 6 Premier League titles and 2 FA Cups with City.
The shot-stopper has been a crucial player in City’s defense under Pep Guardiola propelling his side to a Premier League 4-Peat. Moreover, Ederson has drawn constant comparisons with Alisson, his Brazilian counterpart over the best goalkeeper of this generation. The Citizens will be keen to retain Ederson’s services in goal. However, offers from Saudi are already on the table for the Brazilian.
Ederson’s magnificent journey
Ederson started his senior professional career in 2011, aged 18, playing for Ribeirao. He made 30 appearances for the club. Then, the Brazilian made a move to Rio Ave, where he spent the next three seasons, following which he was signed by Benfica B.
Later, in the same 2015-16 season, Ederson got a chance to play for Benfica’s first team after Julio Cesar picked up a knock. After 2 years at Benfica, Manchester City signed the Brazilian in 2017.
The Citizens bought Ederson for £35 million. Additionally, at the time of his signing, he was the second most expensive goalkeeper of all time. The Brazilian immediately found a place in Guardiola’s Starting XI pushing Claudio Bravo to the bench.
Since then, the Brazilian has truly flourished at the Etihad. The 30-year old has kept 112 clean sheets in 250 appearances for City in the Premier League. Ederson also became the first ever Manchester City goalkeeper to assist a goal, providing from a goal kick to Sergio Aguero.
Moreover, the Brazilian has won 3 consecutive golden gloves in the Premier League for City in 2020, 2021 and 2022. He became only the 4th ever player in Premier League’s history to have won 3 or more golden gloves.
However, winning the FIFA Best Men’s Goalkeeper in 2023 is surely the highlight of Ederson’s magnificent career. The Brazilian made the most number of saves in the Champions League in 2023 and helped his side win a historic treble!
Who will replace Ederson at City? Fabrizio Romano speaks!
Fabrizio Romano highly rates Stefan Ortega to replace Ederson at City. The journalist said:
“Another story to watch with City could be the future of Ederson. There is, from what I’m hearing, a concrete chance for the Brazilian goalkeeper to leave City in the summer transfer window.
There is interest from Saudi and other clubs, so we could see some movement in the goalkeeper market this summer. We’ll have to see what happens with the likes of Jan Oblak, Aaron Ramsdale and Bento, and it looks like Ederson could also be part of this domino. Man City will leave it to the player, they are aware of Saudi interest and won’t stand in his way.
Man City are considering moving for another goalkeeper in the summer, and also they have Stefan Ortega at the club and he’s been fantastic, always very special whenever he plays, like that save against Son Heung-min that made such a big difference in the title race.
In terms of a replacement, I personally think the best fit for them could be Ortega, who is already at the club. He’s shown he’s a fantastic goalkeeper and in my opinion he’s ready to be their first choice.”
Will Ortega be the right replacement?
No doubt that Ederson is a top-top keeper. However, his fitness levels are no longer the same. Stefan Ortega has already proved that he can fill in for the Brazilian.
But, The Citizens will definitely be considering Ortega’s age and experience as a factor. Ortega has only made 12 appearances in his City career in the Premier League. Moreover, the German is a year older than Ederson. Surely, Ortega has up to 5-6 years of top level football left in his tank, provided he stays fit and consistent.
However, City could be looking at a younger alternative too. While nothing is certain for now in the Ederson transfer saga, The Citizens can expect interesting developments in the upcoming few days.
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