Premier League: As Ederson’s exit seems likely, can Stefan Ortega fill in his boots?

New Delhi: There have been reports that suggest Ederson Moraes, Manchester City’s first choice goalkeeper might leave Manchester to join some other club in this summer transfer window. Ederson is looking for a new challenge and this just might be the window where the City fans bid farewell to their Brazilian shot stopper. One of the main transfer policies of Manchester City is well known to all that a player is free to leave at any time if he is not happy or wants to face a different challenge. However, in order to be approved, they only need to present the club with the best offer, which has been the case with Sergio Gomez, Ferran Torres, and Leroy Sane in the past.

The appropriate offer comes with the right timing, which is one of the less well-known aspects of that rule. This is where Ederson comes into play. It might have to become relevant as the summer progresses. The Saudi Pro League has shown a lot of interest in Ederson in the transfer market. Al-Ittihad was allegedly eager to start the bidding process for the 30-year-old goalkeeper, after Al-Nassr’s £25 million offer was turned down by the Blues.

🚨🟡⚫️ Al Ittihad have approached Ederson and he remains keen on move to Saudi Pro League, as he also agreed on terms with Al Nassr but deal collapsed.

Talks to follow between clubs with Man City to insist on €50/60m valuation, not easy one… but Al Ittihad are trying. pic.twitter.com/5UbGN7RHFu

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 21, 2024

However, Ederson might be looking for a different challenge now, as he has looked interested in certain offers from Saudi. After moving to Manchester City in 2017, Ederson had a fantastic seven years there, winning six Premier League titles as well as a Champions League triumph. However, Ederson was eager to leave the club in May 2024 since he was looking for a new challenge.

Ederson’s time at Manchester City

Over the years, the Brazilian shot stopper has been a crucial figure for Pep’s Manchester City side. Ederson is the perfect example of a modern day goalkeeper. He is confident with the ball at his feet, a tremendous shot stopper with good reflexes and he has always looked good playing balls forward as his passing range is one to match. His ability to guide his defence from behind also makes him an extremely good leader, making him the perfect first choice keeper for any top side.

The 31-year-old joined City in the year 2017 and has made a total of 332 appearances ever since. With a total of 250 premier league appearances in his seven seasons for Manchester city, Ederson has managed to win three golden gloves and has lifted the premier league title six times. A commendable presence between the stick, Ederson also helped City clinch their first ever Champions league title in the 2022-23 season.

He certainly has been a brilliant asset for Pep’s side as over the years he has managed to keep a total of 112 premier league clean sheets for Manchester city. This ranks him 15th in the list of keepers with most number of clean sheets in the history of premier league.

Can Stefan Ortega do the job for City?

Ortega has been a solid second choice goalkeeper for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side. The German shot stopper was happy to sign a contract extension this summer rather than take on a fresh challenge elsewhere. The club believes Ortega is the best No. 2 goalkeeper in the game. He has previously demonstrated that he is capable of taking Ederson’s place and would support himself to do so once again. The 31-year-old has produced some good performances for Manchester City as the previous season saw him make 20 appearances for City in all competitions.

City signed Ortega in the year 2022, from German side Arminia Bielefeld where he spent five years as their number one goalkeeper. The German then went on to make 34 appearances for the champions of England in all competitions in two years as a second choice keeper. He was mainly featured in the domestic cup ties and barely got playing time in league matches. However, he turned out to be a pretty solid second choice goalkeeper for Pep’s side and last season, Pep trusted the German in between the sticks as he made nine premier league appearances for City. He was mainly called up as a starter when Ederson wasn’t available but he did his job for as a backup keeper.

Despite not being considered as efficient as Ederson, Ortega certainly has a lot to offer and could prove to be a crucial point for Manchester City next season. City haven’t quite made it official that they want to sign a new goal keeper, which suggests that Stefan Ortega will be having a massive responsibility on his shoulders, being the first choice keeper for the English champions. The most notable moment of his City career came in last season’s game against Tottenham Hotspur, where he made a wonderful one on one save to secure the title for Manchester City.

The fact that many consider him as one of the best second choice goalkeepers in the world right now, it will be interesting to see if he can prove his worth being the starting keeper for the champions of England. The pressure would be high, but he needs to keep his composure and make the most out of every opportunity that he gets.

 Ederson Moraes looks likely to leave Manchester City after spending seven seasons with them. Let’s dive into the situation and see if Stefan Ortega can do the job for Pep’s side.  Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today