Man City's secret weapon to solve goalkeeper situation in transfer market

Manchester City must be on alert to sign a goalkeeper this summer.

Stefan Ortega has signed a new deal to stay at the Etihad until 2026, but Ederson's future is not as assured. The Brazilian endured a disappointing end to the season with an injury that ruled him out of final matches while Ortega played in the Premier League, and the No.1 is set to receive a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia. Pro League to evolve in this window.

If Ederson left, Ortega could become No.1, but the signing of the Arminia Bielefeld goalkeeper showed that Pep Guardiola needs a No.2 almost if not as good to get the best out of his goalkeepers. As the club waits for Ederson, they must prepare for an exit.

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Luckily, they have an expert to turn to. Txiki Begiristain heads the recruitment team but is happy to defer to the opinions of goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor, who has been at the club since Manuel Pellegrini's arrival in 2013 and continues to set the standard for goalkeepers City.

It was Mancisidor who played a vital role in the club's signing of Ortega, working on both sides of the deal to convince the player to come and letting the club know he was the right option. When Pep Guardiola came to discuss the best options, he was taken in the right direction.

“We sat down and he introduced two or three goalkeepers and he [Mancisidor] said, “I think he’s the man,” so I said, “Let’s go.” I'm not a goalkeeping expert, that's why we have a coach for that and, as always, Xabi had a good eye and he played very well,” said the coach.

Mancisidor's day job remains the goalkeeper training regime that keeps them at their level, but it is useful for Guardiola and City to be able to call on the coach when they think they need to find a new player to the post. Ortega was identified on a free transfer from a relegated Bundesliga side, so it's not as if it's just the more high-profile goalkeepers who are being targeted.

This suggests a new signing this summer could be a less familiar name, although as long as it has Mancisidor's approval it shouldn't matter to the Blues.