Pep Guardiola reveals unknown Manchester City backroom staff member responsible for Stefan Ortega transfer | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed the first-team coach behind the transfer of goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.

The 31-year-old completed a free transfer to the Etihad Stadium in July 2022 from Arminia Bielefeld in Germany, and is set to start Manchester City’s defining concluding matches of the current campaign against West Ham and Manchester United this month.

Ortega, who has replaced Ederson on four occasions this season, will start ahead of the Brazilian in the Premier League finale on Sunday and next weekend’s Emirates FA Cup Final, after Ederson suffered a facial fracture against Tottenham on Tuesday, sidelining the goalkeeper for the remainder of the campaign.

Manchester City can win a record-breaking fourth consecutive Premier League title with a victory over the Hammers at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, after Ortega helped the Sky Blues to a crucial three points against Spurs in midweek, making three heroic late saves to deny both Son Heung-Min and Dejan Kulusevski.

The German shot-stopper has made 32 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side since arriving in east Manchester, and has also started against the likes of Arsenal and Real Madrid this season.

Ortega has made 18 appearances during the 2023/24 campaign, with the potential for the goalkeeper to leave Manchester City this summer, after stalling contract extension talks with Etihad officials.

The future of the 31-year-old is expected to be resolved this summer, but ahead of two major upcoming starts, Guardiola has revealed the Manchester City first-team coach responsible for Ortega’s move to the club.

“It’s Xabi Mancisidor,” revealed the 53-year-old during his pre-match press conference at the City Football Academy on Friday.

“What happened in the past, we needed that, and he introduced like always, two or three keepers, and he said, ‘I think this is the man’. OK, let’s go! I’m not an expert about the keepers, so that’s why you have a trainer for that.

“And he said, ‘OK’, and as always, Xabi has a good eye and he did it really well.”

Mancisidor became head of goalkeeping at Manchester City in 2016, but also worked under Manuel Pellegrini at the Etihad Stadium from 2013, having previously worked with the Chilean at Malaga.