Manchester City could look to sign a homegrown talent from Chelsea in the coming weeks of the transfer window, according to reports - with third-choice goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli reportedly in their sights in what would be a 'shock deal' from the FA Cup finalists.
City endured their worst season yet under Pep Guardiola last time out, finishing third in the Premier League, crashing out of the Champions League in the early knockout rounds, as well as being dumped from the League Cup by Tottenham Hotspur early on and losing the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace last month to register a first trophyless season in eight years, a rarity for the Spanish gaffer.
Man City 'Exploring' Deal to Sign Marcus Bettinelli
The Chelsea man has not featured for the club in three years
Pep Guardiola
With that in mind, City are looking to progress in the transfer market, and their preparations are in full swing. The club have already acted for bigger-name stars, with AC Milan hero Tijjani Reijnders looking set to sign this week, whilst Wolverhampton Wanderers star Rayan Ait-Nouri is also closing in on a move up north to address issues at left-back.
And the spending won't stop there, according to The Telegraph's reporter Mike McGrath on X (formerly Twitter) - stating that City are looking at a shock deal to sign Chelsea backup goalkeeper Bettinelli, as Guardiola aims to bolster his goalkeeping department.
Veteran and third-choice stopper Scott Carson is set to leave the Etihad Stadium once his contract expires in the coming weeks, given that he's set to turn 40 years old in early September - and City could swoop for 6ft 4in star Bettinelli to keep their homegrown registration allocation as it was.
Bettinelli, 33, came through Fulham's academy after joining at the age of 14 - and although he spent time on loan at Dartford and Accrington Stanley, his best years came for the Cottagers with 103 league appearances split over six seasons as a rotation option.
His last league game, however, came for Middlesbrough during a loan spell back in 2020/21, when he then joined Chelsea upon the expiration of his Fulham deal - and his only appearance for the Blues in four years came in a 5-1 win over fifth-tier side Chesterfield in the FA Cup back in January 2022.
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 09-06-25.
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