Former Middlesbrough loanee Marcus Bettinelli is set to join Manchester City and head to this summer’s Club World Cup.
City are said to be negotiating a deal with Chelsea that will see the 33-year-old move to the Etihad as a replacement for Scott Carson. The deal is expected to be completed ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline for the first mini-window of the summer, allowing clubs competing in the Club World Cup to strengthen their squads for the competition.
Bettinelli, who spent the 2020-21 season on loan at Boro from Fulham, will be part of Pep Guardiola’s squad heading stateside for the revamped tournament, where he will play back up to Ederson and Stefan Ortega. He’s been at Chelsea since the summer he left the Riverside and has made one appearance.
Carson, 39, has served as City’s third-choice since initially joining on loan in 2019. The former England international was one of the first to occupy the increasingly common role within clubs’ goalkeeping department and has become a bit of a cult figure at the Etihad. In six years he’s made two appearances for Guardiola's side and has lifted 12 major trophies.
Bettinelli arrived at Boro during Neil Warnock’s time in charge. His season at the club came during the Covid-enforced crowdless season and it was a largely disappointing spell for the 33-year-old. Arriving with two Championship promotions on his CV, he failed to produce anywhere close to his best form at the Riverside.
Reflecting on his Boro spell last year, the keeper said honestly: “I played nearly every game so from that point of view it was good, but I have to be honest, I hated it. Do you know when you’re just having one of those seasons… there were goals going in and you know you can do better.
"I’d be the first to admit, I didn’t enjoy playing up there because I wasn’t playing well. I enjoyed living up there, and the missus did too. I lived right on the golf course, which was amazing. But I didn’t enjoy my time at Boro for that reason, and there were probably a few factors to that. It was a tough period, particularly then going back to Fulham and finding out I wasn’t wanted.”