Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City (Man City), is considering a replacement for the starting goalkeeper.
Spanish media outlet 'Pichajes' reported on the 2nd (Korea time) that Guardiola's trust in the starting goalkeeper Ederson (32) is wavering following the early elimination from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
On the 1st, Man City faced a tough match in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, but lost 3-4 to the 'dark horse' Al Hilal despite going into extra time.
Man City, who are the reigning champions of 2023, was also viewed as a favorite to win this tournament. However, they were caught off guard by conceding four goals to Al Hilal, the only Asian team to get past the group stage.
This elimination of Man City is evaluated as being decisively due to goalkeeper mistakes. Although this position was the one that Guardiola trusted the most, he now has to reconsider everything due to the shock of the tournament's elimination.
Brazilian national team goalkeeper Ederson has been a key figure at Man City. Since transferring from Benfica in 2017, he has held his position unchallenged for eight seasons. However, repeated mistakes have put his starting position under threat for the first time.
Accordingly, Man City is reportedly considering Portuguese national team goalkeeper Diogo Costa (26, DIO) as a strong alternative to replace Ederson.
Costa is currently under contract with Porto until 2027. Most importantly, his buyout amount is €75 million (approximately 120.3 billion won). However, if Man City decides, it is not a difficult amount.
Costa has instilled confidence in big games with his performances in European competitions and with the Portuguese national team. Man City believes that Costa could be a long-term replacement for Ederson and is quietly pursuing his acquisition.
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