Pep Guardiola braced for player’s Manchester City exit – Manager a ‘big fan’ of his abilities

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola could succumb to an exit of back-up goalkeeper Stefan Ortega this summer, despite being a ‘big fan’ of his abilities.

The German shot-stopper has been called upon more often than he perhaps would have expected during the most recently-concluded season, taking on appearances in a number of competitions and high-profile affairs.

Replacing Ederson due to injury in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield, Ortega would follow up that opportunity with a start against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, as well as an FA Cup final start.

However, with Ederson seemingly retaining his position as Manchester City’s first-choice goalkeeper in the eyes of Pep Guardiola, Ortega could look towards a move away from the Etihad Stadium in search of his own number one slot.

And that is a stance that the Premier League champions are now preparing themselves for with the summer transfer window fast approaching, and a number of clubs likely to register interest in the former Arminia Bielefeld man.

According to the information of Rob Dawson reporting for ESPN, while Manchester City have made Stefan Ortega a new contractual offer, that proposal has not yet been signed by the 31-year-old as the summer market approaches.

It is detailed that the German shot-stopper is facing a decision between remaining second-choice at the Etihad Stadium, or moving to a club to find more regular first-team football and be regarded as a number one between the sticks.

From the viewpoint of City boss Pep Guardiola, the report details that the Catalan is a ‘big fan’ of Stefan Ortega and is keen for him to stay at Manchester City, despite there being an acceptance that he may want to leave and become No.1 elsewhere.

Ederson himself is also at the centre of transfer speculation, however the chances of Manchester City letting go of both of their first-team goalkeepers remains extremely low, despite the talk around both men.

The Brazilian is attracting ambitious interest from the Saudi Pro League ahead of the summer transfer window, with the likes of Al Ittihad expected to formalise their admiration for the player through the form of an official approach.

However, it yet remains unknown whether Manchester City would look to promoting Ortega into the position of first-choice goalkeeper should Ederson accept an offer from the Saudi Pro League, or whether they would take on a new number one from the European game.