In an unexpected move, Manchester City have now reportedly emerged as contenders to sign a young Chelsea starlet who Enzo Maresca is keen to keep hold of.
Man City in talks to sell Ederson
It looks set to be the late show at the Etihad this month as Pep Guardiola aims to strengthen his side one final time in the summer transfer window. That show is unlikely to go on without sacrifice, however, and whilst names such as Gianluigi Donnarumma have emerged on City's radar, it looks as though Ederson could be heading for the exit door.
Ederson will go down as one of the most important signings of the Guardiola era, but his time now looks as though it's coming to an end. Whether there's time for all of the parts to move into place for the Brazilian to become a Galatasaray player and Donnarumma to join Manchester City remains to be seen, however.
Guardiola had his say on the future of both Ederson and winger Savinho in the build-up to the Wolverhampton Wanderers game - saying: "Ederson didn't come to me and said he wanted to leave or he has an offer. All the players here are our players and I want them. What's going to happen in three weeks, nobody knows."
Of course, the Donnarumma and Ederson saga isn't the only one to watch, either. Manchester City have also reportedly set their sights on an unexpected move to deal Chelsea a frustrating blow this summer.
Man City interested in Acheampong
As reported by The Guardian, Manchester City are now surprise contenders to sign Josh Acheampong from Chelsea, although Enzo Maresca is keen to keep hold of the young defender.
Of course, there have been plenty who have featured for both clubs in the past, with Mateo Kovavic and Marcus Betinelli the most recent examples. But Chelsea will be keen to ensure that Acheampong doesn't follow suit. In a packed dressing room, there's still a place for the 19-year-old right-back who has already earned the praise of Maresca.
Chelsea's Tyrique George celebrates scoring their third goal with Josh Acheampong
Chelsea's Tyrique George celebrates scoring their third goal with Josh Acheampong
The Chelsea boss told reporters: “But the one that I fell in love with is Josh Acheampong because for me potentially he can be fantastic player, a top player for this club, and for football in general.
"A good player shows you they can play in different position and do good. He was a full back, good, midfielder, good, central defender, good, so it’s not about ‘I play in that position or in that position’ — if you are a good player you can be in different positions."
What will be music to Maresca's ears is that Acheampong is under contract until 2029, which should leave those at Stamford Bridge in a strong position to keep hold of their versatile gem.