Manchester City may have spent £180 million ($232m) in January bolstering their squad, but they failed to address one area which was in desperate need of renewal: the position of goalkeeper. City’s weakness between the sticks has been a big factor in their woeful season, and it haunted them again on Saturday when Ederson allowed a shot from Callum Hudson-Odoi to creep past his arm and inside his near post in the 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.
It was far from the first time the Brazilian has let his side down this season. Ederson made numerous errors in City’s dismal Champions League campaign, and his form in the league saw him dropped for Stefan Ortega for the trip to Liverpool in November. He has provided a remarkable three assists this season, making Premier League history as the goalkeeper to have set up the most goals in the process, but overall, he has a net deficit as his play-making ability can no longer compensate for the mistakes he keeps making.
Ederson has been fortunate that his deputy Ortega has had his own problems, and Guardiola could not hide his fury after the German’s feeble attempt to keep out Cristian Norgaard’s header in the 2-2 draw at Brentford in January.
But City have a double-edged problem now: two goalkeepers who are on the wrong side of 30 and neither of whom Guardiola seems particularly convinced by. Ederson wanted to leave the club last summer, but stayed after Guardiola refused to sanction his departure, and GOAL understands that City have already begun their search for a replacement for the Brazilian.
The Premier League champions are casting their eye around the world looking at suitable candidates, so here are some of the names they should be taking a particularly close look at…