Rio Ferdinand has shared who he thinks Manchester City should have in their goal for the 2025/26 season between Ederson and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The goalkeeper role at the Etihad Stadium has dominated transfer talk over the last two weeks as Galatasaray continue to push for Ederson, who Pep Guardiola has made clear is his number one for the current campaign.
If the Brazilian is sold over the coming days, Man City will move for Gianluigi Donnarumma, with personal terms already agreed with the Italian shot-stopper. Now all that is left is for the Premier League giants to agree on a transfer fee with Paris Saint-Germain.
Ferdinand has now shared his opinion on the goalkeeper situation at City, with the former Man United star picking between Ederson and Donnarumma.
Man City star Ederson taking off his goalkeeper gloves.
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Rio Ferdinand would have Gianluigi Donnarumma behind him
Guardiola did not rule out signing a new goalkeeper after Man City’s defeat to Tottenham last weekend, which was a contest that saw James Trafford make a big error that led to Spurs’ second goal.
It now looks like the 22-year-old will be City’s number two for the 2025/26 season, and Ferdinand has stated that he would have Donnarumma in front of the English goalkeeper over keeping Ederson.
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“Well, he’s not Ederson with the ball at his feet. But I tell you what he does do, he keeps the ball out of the net. I watched him multiple times in the Champions League last season, and at times he was outrageous,” Ferdinand said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
“Big moments, big saves. And what I love about him is that he actually can be quiet in a game for a long time, and then all of a sudden, bang, you need a moment. Courtois is a bit similar in that respect.
“With Donnarumma, the only thing that goes against him in the modern game is that with his feet, he doesn’t look as clean. Ederson looks night and day different and better than him with the ball at his feet. But I would say that Donnarumma is a better goalkeeper.
“And if I was a defender, I’d want Donnarumma in my goal.”
Gianluigi Donnarumma in action during Paris Saint-Germain v Arsenal
Photo by Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
How Ederson compares to Gianluigi Donnarumma
The signing of Donnarumma is a big risk for Man City, as the goalkeeper is the total opposite of Ederson, with the PSG star being a very good shot-stopper, but he is not the best with the ball at his feet, which has always been crucial in Guardiola’s teams.
The Italian is also not good at dealing with crosses into the box, which is going to be an issue in the Premier League, with Altay Bayindir proving this at Man United during the opening phase of the season so far.
Player Games Goals Conceded Clean Sheets Minutes
Ederson 40 54 13 3611
Gianluigi Donnarumma 47 43 17 4192
Ederson and Gianluigi Donnarumma’s 24/25 stats
Only time will tell which approach is correct, as it looks certain that Donnarumma will become a Manchester City player over the coming days.
What this means for Trafford remains unknown, as the whole situation seems very harsh on the 22-year-old, who looks to be the perfect fit for City and Guardiola.