Manchester City are hoping to secure the signature of Chelsea goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, according to The Telegraph reporter Mike McGrath.
The journalist is usually reliable when it comes to transfer stories and he claims that the Cityzens are “ready to make a move” for the veteran shot-stopper.
Bettinelli is homegrown and could be brought in for a modest fee prior to the start of the Club World Cup later this month.
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The transfer window closes at 7 PM on Tuesday evening ahead of the tournament in the United States.
Why are City interested in Bettinelli?
Third choice Scott Carson has decided to leave the Etihad Stadium after six years, and manager Pep Guardiola needs another keeper to support the likes of Ederson and Stefan Ortega.
Bettinelli is already used to be being a so-called “training goalkeeper”, having been behind the likes of Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen in the pecking order at Chelsea this season.
However, he does also have experience of being a No.1 (like Carson and Richard Wright before him), having been a regular starter for Fulham.
Are Chelsea open to letting him go?
City’s Premier League rivals are not exactly short of goalkeepers at the moment. In addition to Sanchez and Jorgensen, they have Djordje Petrovic returning from a loan spell at Strasbourg, and they have bought Mike Penders from Genk.
Furthermore, the Blues are currently in negotiations to buy Mike Maignan from AC Milan ahead of the Club World Cup, meaning they are unlikely to select Bettinelli as part of their squad anyway.
The 33-year-old only has a year left on his contract at Stamford Bridge so that could also motivate his team into selling him this summer.
In other news, fans react to reports that Man City may have to pay upwards of £59m for Ederson’s replacement