Manchester City receive initial green light over Ederson replacement – Agent pushing to seal transfer | OneFootball

Etihad Stadium officials may have received their first positive indication over a blockbuster summer transfer that may spark the end of Ederson’s Manchester City stay.

The ageing Brazilian shot-stopper has been nothing short of a revolutionary player for both Manchester City and arguably the wider Premier League, influencing the way goalkeeping has been perceived in English football since his arrival in 2017.

Pep Guardiola joined Manchester City with an insistence of playing the ball out from the back through his goalkeepers, and following on from some struggles with Claudio Bravo and Willy Caballero in his first campaign, the decision was made to bring Ederson in from Benfica.

During his time with the club to date, the now-31 year-old has recorded the most assists by a goalkeeper in Premier League history, while remaining integral to the way in which City play in defence. However, his time at the club may be coming to an end.

The ongoing season has seen Ederson struggle with numerous fitness and injury problems, with his absences increasing and thus opportunities for back-up Stefan Ortega Moreno coming more frequently as the Brazilian continues to battle with a groin issue.

And Manchester City may now be taking their first steps towards sourcing a suitable replacement for Ederson, as they look back towards the Portuguese game for a new number one goalkeeper to join the ranks this summer.

According to the information of Footmercato’s Santi Aouna, contacts have ‘intensified’ in recent weeks involving FC Porto’s Diogo Costa, and representatives of the Portugal international are now said to be ‘pushing for a deal’ to be made with Manchester City.

It is revealed that the 25-year-old has given an ‘initial green light’ to the Etihad Stadium’s officials and is keen on joining the club having accepted their project. For now, talks are said to be ongoing between all parties, with agent Jorge Mendes pushing to seal a deal.

The wider understanding is that the player also has a €75 million release clause in his Porto contract, although strong relationships between Manchester City and Porto, as well as the English side and the player’s agent could help to seal a deal below that price tag.

A recent report from within the English media suggested that Manchester City believe a fee of around £50 million could be enough to secure a move for the player, while incoming director of football Hugo Viana has a strong bond with super-agent, Mendes.

An arrival of Diogo Costa from Portugal would naturally raise significant question marks over the future of both Ederson and Stefan Ortega Moreno, with the former attracting interest from Saudi Arabia and the Germany keeper known to be a target for Bayer Leverkusen.