Ederson set to leave? The goalkeepers Man City should consider signing to replace the Brazilian

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Five-man shortlist 

Having just won their fourth, consecutive Premier League title and their sixth in the last seven seasons, it’s perfectly understandable why Manchester City don’t seem to be in any great rush to buy new players this summer. To date, Pep Guardiola has only seen one player join his squad in the form of Troyes winger Savinho for little more than €25 million. But that may be about to change if one of the club’s most senior players is allowed to leave in the coming weeks. 

According to multiple reports, Man City may be set to lose goalkeeper Ederson to some serious interest from the middle east. Both Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad have been heavily linked with a move for the 30-year-old shot-stopper and are willing to pay around €48 million to sign the Brazil international this summer. Having played over 300 games and won multiple titles with Man City, now would seem like an odd time to let their prized goalkeeper move on but when asked about the future of his keeper, Guardiola admitted that Ederson had earned the right to “look elsewhere” for the next chapter in his career. So if Man city are willing to part ways with Ederson this summer, who could the Premier League giants bring in to replace the notable gap between the posts? Let’s take a look at the options. 

First on our list is none other Euro 2024 star Giorgi Mamardashvili. Although Georgia couldn’t make it past eventual winners Spain in the knock-out stages of the tournament, their goalkeeper won a huge amount of praise for his impressive performances between the posts. So much so that his market value was increased by €10m to €45m after the competition. Naturally, Valencia fans will know all about Mamardashvili’s talent, having watched him make the No.1 spot his own at the LaLiga club over the course of the last three seasons. But perhaps he’s now ready to ultimately step up and join Man City next season. 

Another goalkeeper that could prove to be a wise long-term investment is none other than Porto star Diogo Costa. Like the aforementioned Georgian star, Costa was also a player that shined at Euro 2024, but has also made a name for himself through multiple stand-out performances for the Portuguese club in the Champions League. Typically considered to be one of the most promising keepers in the world, Costa would make an ideal successor to Ederson if Man City are resigned to losing their keeper. 

Away from the up-and-coming contingent of top-class keepers, Man City could try something entirely different by making a move for Paris Saint-Germain star Gianluigi Donnarumma. Once heralded as a world class star in the making, Donnarumma has instead seen his development plateau in the French capital. Reports in England have linked the Italian international with a move to Man City and while he may be something of a liability when compared to the stalwart consistency of Ederson, Donnarumma could prove to be a crude signing if he were to get back to the kind of performances he showed in Serie A not that long ago. 

The last keeper on today’s shortlist that Man City may wish to consider making an offer for if Ederson were to leave is none other than Borussia Dortmund shot-stopper Gregor Kobel. The 26-year-old talent has long been one of the Bundesliga club’s top performers and was crucial to their defensive drive to last season’s Champions League final. Still extremely young for a keeper, Kobel is already considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in the Bundesliga. And considering Man City’s tendency to pluck young players from the German top-flight, a move for the Dortmund keeper would make a lot of sense. 

Last but certainly not least on our list of candidates to replace Ederson is none other than his own team mate, Stefan Ortega. It’s rare that top-class goalkeepers have two outstanding shot-stoppers on the books but in the German talent the Premier League side have a player more than capable of stepping into the No.1 top. Ortega made 20 appearances in all competitions last season, including vital Champions League clashes and crucial league ties such as the 1-1 draw with Liverpool and the 0-0 clash against Arsenal. There, the keeper proved that he was good enough to step into Ederson’s shoes and be the keeper Man City may look to rely on next season.