Pep Guardiola considered new name for first-choice goalkeeper at Manchester City this season

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola considered a new name for the position of first choice goalkeeper at the Etihad Stadium this season, it has been revealed.

The reigning Premier League champions have arguably not had a stronger collective of goalkeeping talent since the arrival of their Catalan boss in England, with Ederson and Stefan Ortega offering strong capabilities between the sticks.

The Brazilian continues to hold down the number one spot with Manchester City this season, but his injury setback sustained against Liverpool last weekend has opened up a rare opportunity for his back-up to start the club’s upcoming contests.

With Ederson expected to be out of action for up to four weeks, Ortega is likely to start for City against both Newcastle United and Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-finals and Premier League respectively.

However, there is unlikely to be any concern from within the club, with a new report revealing just how highly the 31-year-old is rated by the Manchester City manager in particular, so much so that there was a chance he started this season as the number one choice.

That is according to the information of The Athletic’s Sam Lee, who reports that Pep Guardiola was so impressed with Ortega last season that he had been ‘considering’, towards the end of the campaign, using the German as his first-choice goalkeeper for the now-ongoing season.

Unfortunately for Manchester City, Ortega’s performances appear to have outgrown the club’s rigid internal wage brackets. The Athletic report that the Premier League champions have already offered to increase his wages, but ‘within their existing structure for what they believe a back-up goalkeeper should earn’.

As such, it comes as no surprise to also understand courtesy of Sam Lee’s report that Stefan Ortega’s camp believe he has ‘proven himself to be worth more’ than City’s wage valuation, especially as bonuses are harder to earn without regular game time.

The January transfer window not only saw significant interest in Ortega from both within the Premier League and across Europe, but also witnessed a confirmed exit for Manchester City’s former back-up choice Zack Steffen.

The US men’s international shot-stopper saw his career with the reigning Premier League champions crumble following a disastrous FA Cup semi-final performance against Liverpool at the end of the 2021/22 season.

Following a loan spell with Middlesbrough in the following campaign, contributing to the Riverside club’s pursuit of Premier League promotion, a knee injury hampered any hope of a successive move away from City in England.

Instead, Steffen is now plying his trade back in Major League Soccer, after Manchester City finalised an agreement with Colorado Rapids.