Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has set a new Premier League record for the most assists by a goalkeeper in a Premier League season – but his club are reportedly looking at a successor in case he leaves this summer.
Adding Ederson to Pep Guardiola’s squad in 2017 was one of the most crucial bits of business Man City have done to become the dominant force that they are. The Brazil goalkeeper has been a fine servant at the Etihad Stadium, renowned not just for his shot-stopping ability but also – and arguably even more so – his comfort with the ball at his feet.
Ederson made his fourth assist of the season in Saturday’s win over Crystal Palace, which is more than any other goalkeeper has provided in Premier League history, with his long ball to pick out James McAtee described as ‘remarkable’ by TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher.
But it’s a sight that City fans might not be seeing for too much longer, since the future of Ederson – who later went off injured – has been called into question ahead of the final year of his contract.
And according to Football Transfers, Ederson is attracting interest from his former club Benfica, eight years after he moved the opposite way.
Interestingly, the report also claims that his replacement could come directly from Benfica, after City set their sights on Anatoliy Trubin.
It’s claimed that City are ‘seriously exploring’ their chances of signing the 23-year-old Trubin, who has 17 clean sheets to his name this season, and are ready to put €25m (£21.7m) on the table for him.
However, that would fall short of Benfica’s asking price, which is closer to the €40m (£34.7m) that City also paid them for Ederson.
After all, Benfica only signed Trubin in 2023 and he still has a contract until 2028.
Second keeper could leave Man City
Ederson has had a question mark over his future for a while. Last summer, he was heavily linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, but ended up staying in the Premier League.
His departure would prompt City to go for a replacement, unless they felt his current backup option Stefan Ortega was good enough to step into his shoes.
However, Football Transfers also suggest Ortega could leave in the coming months to pursue more gametime elsewhere.
The 32-year-old is said to have several suitors in Europe, with his contract due to enter its final year this summer as well.
Thus, City could find themselves needing to sign two new goalkeepers in the summer, so they will have to broaden their search for potential targets for the no.1 and no.2 roles.
Another option playing in Portugal, Diogo Costa, has been touted as an option for City’s director of football Hugo Viana and his recruitment team.
Man City transfer roundup
Like Ederson, another player that had an impact in City’s 5-2 thrashing of Crystal Palace was Nico O’Reilly.
The 20-year-old scored City’s fifth and final goal, which came a day after an update about his future.
City still have him under contract until 2028, but are seeking a better deal for the midfielder after pushing away interest from Chelsea in January.
And Fabrizio Romano has revealed the latest on City’s attempts to extend O’Reilly’s stay.
In other news, TEAMtalk’s Ben Jacobs has provided an update on City’s mission to replace Kevin De Bruyne when he leaves at the end of the season.
De Bruyne was player of the match against Palace, but it’s already been confirmed he’ll be on his way out when his contract expires.
And while Bayer Leverkusen‘s Florian Wirtz is an obvious dream target, we’ve learned of four other midfielders City are considering.
Our Italian correspondent Rudy Galetti has also named the two AC Milan players City are set to open talks for.
Ederson: The end of an era?
When the time comes for a changing of the guard in the City goalkeeping department, it will be the end of an era. Indeed, Ederson has been a fundamental player for Guardiola over the years.
Guardiola was desperate to have a goalkeeper comfortable in possession, prompting City to pay what was at the time the highest ever fee spent by a Premier League club for a keeper to sign Ederson from Benfica in 2017.
Aside from the occasional absence, Ederson has been virtually ever-present since, only missing eight Premier League games across his first five seasons with City. He won the Premier League Golden Glove three seasons in a row between 2019 and 2022.
Ederson is famed for his ability on the ball, famously declaring in 2018 that he would back himself to be able to play in midfield for Guardiola’s side. And that ability is as much of a reason why he will be such a tough act to follow as his shot-stopping skills.
Having a keeper who can provide composure is essential for any team, but it is even more important for a side like City where a passing philosophy from the back is exceptionally crucial. Ederson has been a seamless fit for how Guardiola has wanted to set his side up, becoming a vital part of various Premier League title-winning campaigns.
But nothing lasts forever and the end of Ederson’s City career may be on the horizon. Yet part of City’s sustained success over recent years has been their ability to move on from key players and maintain their momentum with how they are replaced, so it is only to be expected that they will be doing their due diligence on potential replacements for the long term.