Manchester City goalkeeper rejected ‘huge offer’ from Saudi Arabia – Player could be living ‘final’ months at Etihad Stadium | OneFootball

Prior to his move to Manchester City during the 2022 summer transfer window, Stefan Ortega rejected a ‘huge offer’ from Saudi Arabia, according to reports.

The 30-year-old goalkeeper has earned himself more complimentary reviews this season following a range of faultless performances for Manchester City when called upon by manager Pep Guardiola.

Whilst Ortega is Manchester City’s default option between the sticks for domestic cup matches, the ongoing campaign has also seen Guardiola select the German keeper for several high-profile fixtures in light of injuries sustained by first-choice Ederson.

Those contests have included the likes of the second-half of the Premier League meeting with Liverpool at Anfield, as well as the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, with Ortega’s contract due to expire at the end of next season, concerns over his longer-term future with the Premier League champions continue to grow, and a new report has offered some much-needed insight into the player’s current position.

According to the information of The Times’ Paul Hirst, Stefan Ortega rejected a ‘huge’ offer from Saudi Arabia back in 2020 and, while he is now 30-years-old, thinks he still has ‘another six years left as a professional’.

While his immediate Manchester City future remains somewhat in doubt due to an expiring contract, the report states that Ortega, his daughter, and his wife – who is expecting another child – ‘enjoy’ living in Manchester.

Back on the training ground, Ortega is also said to ‘get on well’ with City’s goalkeeping coaches Xabier Mancisidor and Richard Wright, as well as Scott Carson and Ederson, who the Times reveals was the first player to message him after he signed for the club.

Unfortunately for Manchester City and their hopes of retaining the shot-stopper, the report claims that Ortega ‘has designs on pushing his way into’ the Germany squad, likely through increased first-team opportunities.

Bayern Munich made attempts to sign Stefan Ortega Moreno during the last summer transfer window as cover for Manuel Neuer, however the Times reaffirms that City boss Pep Guardiola ‘blocked’ the move.

At present, it remains somewhat unknown who Manchester City could turn to in the transfer market this summer, should a club present a viable option for Stefan Ortega to accept in what could be his final top-level career change.

There have been tenuous claims from Italian media that the Premier League champions could look towards Lazio’s Christos Mandas, with the player’s agent confirming interest from ‘abroad’ during a recent interview.

Scott Carson is highly unlikely to be promoted into the position of back-up goalkeeper within Pep Guardiola’s squad, despite the veteran being highly-regarded by all those within the first-team set-up for his role within the squad.