Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Napoli made an attempt to sign Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson, who has been labelled as “incredible” by his manager Pep Guardiola on multiple occasions.
Napoli Made Attempt to Sign Ederson
Move Deemed ‘Not Feasible’
Romano reported that Antonio Conte’s side were looking to sign a new goalkeeper this summer, despite Alex Meret having one of his best seasons for the Azzurri and winning the Serie A Golden Glove. Talks took place between City and Napoli last week, but there were no significant advancements, and the move looks to be off.
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This is perhaps unsurprising for a couple of reasons. The Cityzens have a fractured relationship with the Italian club and, in particular, the owner Aurelio De Laurentiis, who has previously been a very difficult negotiator when City have tried to sign Napoli’s players in the form of Jorginho and Kalidou Koulibaly.
They also would have demanded good money for Ederson, even though he only has one year left on his contract, due to how important he is for City’s style of play. As the Italian giants are chasing other high-profile targets, like Lorenzo Lucca, it is possible that they were instantly priced out of a move for the 31-year-old.
Should City Sell Ederson?
Over the course of his entire eight-year stint in Manchester, Ederson has been nothing short of exceptional. The goalkeeper position caused Guardiola’s men a lot of problems during his first season in English football, but the Brazilian made the position his own and helped to revolutionise City’s style of play.
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The former Benfica man has made 372 appearances for the side, conceding just 311 goals, keeping 168 clean sheets and winning numerous accolades on both a team and an individual level. In the biggest game in City’s history, the Champions League final against Inter Milan, Ederson excelled, making a number of world-class saves to help the Cityzens secure their first Champions League title and a historic treble.
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However, the Brazilian struggled more than ever last season. A string of niggling injuries meant that he struggled to gain any consistency in the middle part of the season and he made a number of high-profile errors against the likes of Real Madrid. The goalkeeper was also criticised by fans after City’s most recent match against Al Hilal, in which the Saudi Arabian side had six shots on target and scored four goals.
But, with the Cityzens transitioning towards a more direct style of play than ever before, Ederson’s kicking power and accuracy proved as valuable as ever as he picked up four assists last campaign.
With the Brazilian’s contract expiring in June 2026, perhaps City should let the Brazilian have one final season as first-choice goalkeeper whilst they identify a potential target to bring in as his replacement following the expiration of his contract.