Manchester City planning exit for first-team goalkeeper with 21 appearances

Officials within the Etihad Stadium are reportedly planning to permit a permanent exit for first-team goalkeeping option Zack Steffen in 2024.

The Pennsylvania-born goalkeeper is facing a cross-roads in his top-level professional career following a sharp rise to the top of the game, leaving Columbus Crew SC in 2019 to join Pep Guardiola’s operation at Manchester City.

A loan move to Bundesliga side Fortuna Dusseldorf followed, and officials at the Etihad Stadium were swiftly made aware of Steffen’s ability to play the ball with his feet, as well as his prowess as a traditional shot-stopper.

However, his outings for the current Premier League champions would go on to be less than convincing, and following a mistake in the 2022 FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool, a loan move to Middlesbrough would follow for the 2022/23 campaign.

That outing at Wembley Stadium may now prove to be the final appearance for Zack Steffen in a Manchester City shirt, with a new report detailing the current intentions from transfer bosses at the club.

According to the information of Football Insider, Manchester City are now planning to let Zack Steffen leave the club in 2024, with the 28-year-old back-up goalkeeper having no long-term future at the Etihad Stadium after knee injury problems in recent months.

The report highlights that the USA men’s international shot-stopper is currently out of contract at Manchester City in June 2025, and will not be offered an extension by club officials and as such allow him to leave on a free if a deal is not found next summer.

Across his tenure at Manchester City working under Pep Guardiola, Zack Steffen has registered a commendable total of 21 appearances whilst operating as the back-up to first choice option Ederson between the posts.

In his 21 outings as Manchester City goalkeeper, Steffen conceded a total of 16 goals, keeping eight clean sheets and picking up one yellow card in the process, winning two Premier League titles, a League Cup crown, and receiving a UEFA Champions League final runners-up medal.

It remains unknown as to what the next steps could be for the 28-year-old, however there is likely to be no shortage of suitors for the player with his history in German football expected to play a part in his thinking at this early stage.