Pep Guardiola and Ederson
Pep Guardiola expects Ederson to stay at the Etihad this season
By the close of play this evening Pep Guardiola will know the squad he has available for the Club World Cup. Manchester City will head to the United States later this week and the expectation is four new players will be checking in for that flight.
That includes goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, but the focus will clearly be on Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, the players who are set to cost around £110million and will be competing for first-team spots in the tournament.
Bettinelli will sit in Scott Carson's seat, metaphorically at least. The 33-year-old is a replacement for Carson as third-choice goalkeeper, a reliable training body, a goalkeeper ready to be called on in emergencies and an excellent vibes man.
But it is ahead of Bettinelli in the battle for the gloves where at least some attention will be drawn. City's goalkeeping situation sums up the state of their squad in recent years. At the end of the season, they had three keepers all over the age of 30, and even if it is not this window, it is clear a refresh is required, possibly in all three positions.
For most of this season, it had been expected that would happen this summer. Ederson has been linked with Saudi Arabia and was the subject of interest last year. At that point, it was considered that Stefan Ortega could step up to replace him, but the German hasn't cemented that reputation this term.
But now, Guardiola seems to be expecting a summer of stability in goal, at least when it comes to Ederson and Ortega. Speaking in Spain recently, he said: “I don’t know much about goalkeepers [leaving or joining the club]. I told them [Ederson and Ortega Moreno] to stay. We’ve talked about the situation of the squad, and the two goalkeepers we have will stay.”
It's been a strange year in the goalkeeping department. From the start of October, neither Ederson or Ortega started more than five games in a row. Injuries, form and general fitness meant stability was hard to come by.
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Ederson ended the season as the No. 1. He spent four Premier League games and two Champions League games on the bench and missed eight top flight matches with four different injuries.
His form was a little more inconsistent as a result of those injuries, but in opening the door for Ortega, the season ended with the view that the German is a very good No. 2, but probably not a No. 1.
There is an argument among City fans that Ederson is underrated and underappreciated, although the Brazilian can also split opinion among his own supporters. He is a perfect fit for Guardiola with his feet but not always reliable when it comes to keeping the ball out of the net. His penalty record is held up as an example.
He last saved a spot kick for City in May 2021 and has now conceded 15 in a row. In total, he has saved only four of the 40 penalties he has faced in a City shirt.
Both Ederson and Ortega have had moments to write themselves into City folklore. The former was outstanding in the 2023 Champions League final in Istanbul, helping City get over the line to the treble. Ortega came on for a disgruntled Ederson at Tottenham in May 2024 and made the save from Son that secured the title.
But the clock is ticking for both. They will head to the USA, battling it out to start the tournament in goal, with Ederson likely to win out. If Guardiola is to be believed, they will start the season as No. 1 and No. 2 again.
The transfer window could yet determine that. Any interest in Ederson could change City's plans. For now, the goalkeeping situation looks set to stay the same, but it's clearly a matter of time before that changes.
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