Five goalkeepers Manchester City could sign if Ederson leaves this summer

sportsmole.co.uk, 10 June 2024, 17:47
Manchester City are set to be active in the summer transfer window as they endeavour to retain the Premier League title and compete for silverware in other domestic and continental competitions in 2024-25.

Pep Guardiola, who may be preparing for his final season in charge of the Citizens, will want to strengthen his squad with a few key signings, but he may also allow some first-team stars to seek pastures new.

Recent reports have suggested that first-choice goalkeeper Ederson will consider ending his seven-year association with Man City if a 'good proposal' is offered to him this summer.

The 30-year-old has been Guardiola's undisputed number one shot-stopper even since he moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2017, and the six-time Premier League winner is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in world football.

However, Ederson has been linked with a transfer to the Saudi Pro League, with Al-Nassr allegedly willing to pay around £25m in an attempt to lure the Brazilian to the Middle East, although City are thought to value him at closer to £40m.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at five goalkeepers who Man City could look to sign as either a direct replacement for Ederson, or to provide competition for Stefan Ortega if he is made the club's new number one.

Mike Maignan (AC Milan)

Should Ederson leave Man City, Guardiola would look to sign a goalkeeper capable with the ball at his feet, and AC Milan's Mike Maignan certainly fits the bill having already shown the ability of a modern world-class shot-stopper during his three-year stay at San Siro.

According to multiple reports, including one from The Sun, Man City will react to the potential departure of Ederson by stepping up their interest in Maignan, a primary target who stands at 6ft 3in and is set to be France's No.1 goalkeeper at Euro 2024 this summer.

Following a six-year spell with Lille, Maignan joined Milan in 2021 and has since been a mainstay between the sticks, keeping 44 clean sheets in 110 appearances across all competitions, including 15 shutouts in 42 outings in 2023-24.

The 28-year-old, who is valued at £30m and has two years remaining on his contract at San Siro, was named Serie A Best Goalkeeper and was selected in the Serie A Team of the Year after helping Milan win the 2021-22 title.

The Sun reports that Milan could move for Everton's Jordan Pickford or Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale should Maignan leave the Italian giants this summer.

Diogo Costa (Porto)

Another high-profile goalkeeper that has been linked with a potential summer switch to Man City is Porto star Diogo Costa.

Journalist Rudy Galetti claims that the Citizens have shown an interest in the 24-year-old, but they could face competition from fellow Premier League club Chelsea, who are said to have approached the player.

It is understood that Porto are open to selling the 20-cap Portugal international, who has kept a total of 64 clean sheets in 154 appearances, if they receive a 'satisfactory' offer this summer.

Having won eight trophies, including two Primeira Liga titles and four Portuguese Cups, during his five-year spell in the Porto first team, two-time Goalkeeper of the Year Costa may feel that now is the right time to take the next step in his career.

Should Costa decide to leave this summer, Galetti claims that Porto will consider a move for Real Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva, who is said to be keen to return to his native Portugal.

James Trafford (Burnley)

Man City could turn to a familiar face in the form of James Trafford, who was sold to Burnley last summer for £19m and made 28 starts in the 2023-24 Premier League season.

Although Trafford lost his regular starting spot towards the end of the campaign, with the Clarets eventually suffering relegation from the top flight, the 21-year-old has caught the eye of a number of top European clubs including Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Bayern Munich, the latter are now managed by former Burnley boss Vincent Kompany.

Trafford is yet to earn his first senior cap for England, but he was part of Gareth Southgate's preliminary squad for Euro 2024 and is rated highly by the Three Lions boss.

With Trafford's stock continuing to grow, Man City may consider joining the race for his signature this summer, and it is understood that the Citizens have a buy-back clause for the highly-rated youngster worth around £42m.

It remains to be seen whether City would be prepared to fork out such a fee for Trafford, though, while it is also unclear whether the Citizens academy graduate will show preference to regular first-team football in the Championship with Burnley, or joining a high-profile club where he may not be a nailed-on starter.

Michael Zetterer (Werder Bremen)

After two year playing second fiddle to Ederson, Ortega could be promoted as City's new number one next season if the Brazilian leaves this summer. The 31-year-old was linked with a summer exit last month but has since penned a new two-year contract.

Should Ortega take the number one jersey, this would lead to the Citizens delving into the transfer market for a new number two, and German news outlet Bild claims that Guardiola's side hold an interest in Werder Bremen goalkeeper Michael Zetterer.

The 28-year-old would represent a cheaper alternative to other possible Man City targets such as Maignan, Costa and Trafford, as his Bremen contract allegedly possesses a £5m release clause that is valid until the middle of this month.

Zetterer has spent almost a decade with Bremen, but he has only made 41 first-team appearances in all competitions, keeping 10 clean sheets, and has acted as an understudy to fellow long-serving shot-stopper Jiri Pavlenka.

However, Zetterer eventually established himself as Bremen's new number one from October last year until the end of the 2023-24 season and started 27 Bundesliga matches, keeping six clean sheets and starring in a memorable performance in a 1-0 win at Bayern Munich.

Christos Mandas (Lazio)

Another option for Man City is to recruit a youngster up-and-coming goalkeeper who could potentially begin as a second-choice at the club before establishing himself as a number one in the future.

A recent report claims that Lazio's 22-year-old goalkeeper Christos Mandas is attracting interest from the Citizens, who have already made contact over a potential summer move.

Rivals Manchester United and Leicester City have also been linked with Mandas, who Lazio are said to be keen to keep hold of and intend to offer him a new-and-improved contract to tie him down until June 2029.

Mandas, who joined Lazio in September last year, began the 2023-24 season as a number two, but he enjoyed a run of games in the latter stages of the campaign in the absence of first-choice goalkeeper Ivan Provedel.

The Greek Under-21s international kept six clean sheets in 12 first-team appearances for Lazio, including four shutouts in nine Serie A outings to help the Italian outfit secure a top-seven finish.

Top News

27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fulham are again sweating over the fitness of Emile Smith Rowe for Sunday's Premier League clash with Bournemouth. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams enjoying excellent campaigns will lock horns for an intriguing Premier League contest on Sunday afternoon, with Fulham welcoming Bournemouth to Craven Cottage. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Nottingham Forest are set to be without the services of midfielder Ryan Yates for the trip to Everton in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Everton could be prepared to welcome back the services of winger Dwight McNeil for the Premier League battle with Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Following a hard-fought point at the home of the faltering champions earlier in the week, Everton will continue their festive schedule with the visit of Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly considering triggering the release clause of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi during the January transfer window due to their ongoing issues. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly made an offer for Paris Saint-Germain defender Nuno Mendes. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool boss Arne Slot will only be missing three players for Sunday's Premier League showdown with West Ham United at the London Stadium. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Juventus have reportedly rejected the chance to sign unsettled forward Marcus Rashford, with the Old Lady more interested in bringing in his Manchester United teammate Joshua Zirkzee. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui is grappling with a new selection crisis ahead of Sunday's Premier League visit of Liverpool to the London Stadium. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to hit the 45-point mark before the end of the calendar year, relentless Premier League leaders Liverpool head to West Ham United on Sunday evening for their final match of 2024. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly keeping a close eye on Dani Olmo's situation at Barcelona, with the Spain international potentially becoming available on a free transfer at the start of January. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Rangers will look to bounce back from a disappointing defeat last time out when they travel to Fir Park to face Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Celtic will aim to maintain their remarkable unbeaten status in this season's Scottish Premiership when they host bottom of the table St Johnstone at Celtic Park on Sunday afternoon. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk One team on an upward trajectory and another on a downward trajectory conclude their Premier League duties for 2024 at 3pm on Sunday, when Tottenham Hotspur welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to North London. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Wolverhampton Wanderers will endeavour to win three successive Premier League games for the first time since December 2023 when they head to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday evening. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both seeking to end a sub-par year on an up note, AC Milan and Roma will close out 2024 with a Sunday night clash at San Siro. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is at risk of being without a single senior centre-back for Sunday's Premier League home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two of the Premier League's bottom-half battlers collide in their final match of 2024 on Sunday, as an off-colour Tottenham Hotspur welcome a reborn Wolverhampton Wanderers to their North London base. 27 December 2024 talksport.com Curtis Jones has revealed he received a touching message from former manager Jurgen Klopp following Liverpool's Boxing Day win over Leicester. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both in desperate need of some end-of-year inspiration, Premier League foes Leicester City and Manchester City play their final match of 2024 at the King Power Stadium on Sunday afternoon. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has acknowledged that he will "change something" for Monday's Premier League fixture at Ipswich Town. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Southampton will go in search of just their second Premier League victory of the 2024-25 campaign when they head to Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon to tackle Crystal Palace. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola is currently sweating over the availability of a handful of players ahead of Sunday's trip to Leicester City in the Premier League. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool may reportedly be offered the chance to loan out Federico Chiesa during the January transfer window. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy will be deprived of the banned Jordan Ayew for Sunday's Premier League showdown with Manchester City at the King Power Stadium. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Hitting low ebb after low ebb, Premier League champions-in-crisis Manchester City endeavour to close 2024 with an increasingly rare win away to Leicester City on Sunday afternoon. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher has supported the decision to hand a red card to Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran against Newcastle United. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea will be aiming to bounce back from a home defeat to Fulham when they head to Ipswich Town in the Premier League on December 30. 27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United will be aiming to avoid a fourth straight defeat in all competitions when they welcome Newcastle United to Old Trafford in the Premier League on Monday night.