Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has offered “the truth” behind Ederson’s future and talk of a move to Saudi Arabia during the last summer transfer window.
The 31-year-old has started the ongoing season in fine form, remaining integral to the way Manchester City operate and build-up their attacking phases of play from defence into attacking areas of the pitch.
Most recently, it was the Brazil international who played a crucial role in claiming all three points against Fulham in the Premier League, having denied Adama Traore on multiple occasions in one-vs-one situations.
That performance from the former Benfica stopper and now long-standing Manchester City star reminded all those watching just how important Ederson is to Pep Guardiola’s side, across all aspects of the game.
Speaking during a recent press conference, Guardiola was open to admitting that amid talk of a potential move to Saudi Arabia’s Pro League for Ederson, he was concerned that he would lose his mainstay goalkeeper.
“Yeah, of course,” Guardiola said when he was asked whether he was ‘concerned’ about an exit for Ederson. “He’s an important figure with our team, and Scott (Carson). At the end, it didn’t happen, we are lucky to have him.”
Guardiola continued, “Hopefully he’s happy, and always you have to prepare because you never know what’s going to happen, for whether the players want to leave or so on. We should have moved forward, that’s for sure. Eddie knows us really, really well with what we have to do.”
The Manchester City manager was further asked whether he had held any conversations directly with Ederson over his future during the summer, and particularly what were the nature of such discussions between the pair.
“No, he knew from day one that I didn’t want it, we didn’t want it,” Guardiola said. “But the truth, I’m going to tell you; the truth is that the offer didn’t come. The real offer.
“Because they made an offer but to be, for the keeper, for the team who won four Premier Leagues in a row, has a value, a price. Otherwise he cannot leave! But if the offer can be gone, maybe he should not be here. This is the truth.”
It remains to be seen what Manchester City would have done had Ederson brought an end to his time at the Etihad Stadium, however the widespread understanding is that Stefan Ortega Moreno would have been promoted into the number one role, with a new back-up signed.
