The future of Manchester City’s goalkeeping position has been thrown into the spotlight on the opening day of the new Premier League season. Turkish giants Galatasaray have submitted their first official bid for long-serving number one Ederson, while new signing James Trafford is set to make his official debut and start against Wolves today.
According to exclusive new reports, Galatasaray have made an opening proposal worth a figure in the region of €10 million for the Brazilian shot-stopper. While Manchester City are understood to be demanding a higher fee, this formal bid significantly accelerates Ederson’s potential departure, after he had previously been linked with agreeing personal terms with the Turkish club.
City appear to have a world-class replacement already lined up. Should Ederson depart, the club will reportedly move to sign Paris Saint-Germain’s wantaway superstar, Gianluigi Donnarumma. It is understood that there are “no issues on personal terms” with the Italian international, who has “already opened doors” to a potential move to the Etihad.
In the immediate term, the uncertainty surrounding the number one spot has created a huge and unexpected opportunity for James Trafford. The 22-year-old, who re-joined the club this summer in a record-breaking deal for a British goalkeeper, will make his official senior debut and start the first game of the season against Wolves.
This comes just days after manager Pep Guardiola insisted that Ederson was “right now” still his first-choice goalkeeper. Today’s rapid developments suggest the situation is moving much faster than anticipated, forcing the manager’s hand on the opening day.
It’s a day of massive change in goal for the Premier League champions. While a young English talent gets his chance to shine in the season opener, a major transfer saga is unfolding behind the scenes that could see one superstar goalkeeper (Ederson) replaced by another (Donnarumma) before the window closes.