Manchester City Prepared to Let ‘Exceptional’ Player Leave Club Following Summer Arrivals

Manchester City have informed Stefan Ortega Moreno that he can leave the club this summer following the arrival of James Trafford, as per Fabrizio Romano. The German had previously expressed his desire to be a first-choice goalkeeper given his age, but this is now highly unlikely to happen at the Etihad following the arrival of a promising young star to take up the reins when Ederson eventually departs.

Stefan Ortega Will Be Allowed to Leave Manchester This Summer

Why Ortega, Not Ederson?

One condition that had always been clear during transfer negotiations for Trafford was that Pep Guardiola only wanted two established goalkeepers in his squad, in addition to Marcus Bettinelli. This meant that one of Ortega and Ederson was going to have to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer.

It is interesting that the Cityzens higher-ups have decided that they want to move Ortega on when there has been more concrete interest in Ederson over the last 12 months. The Brazilian was in talks to move to Saudi Arabia last summer, whilst Galatasaray have reportedly been interested in the 31-year-old this summer. The former Benfica man would have likely commanded a larger fee than his German counterpart, which could have been used to help finance City’s rebuild.

Ultimately, although Ortega has been labelled as “exceptional” by Guardiola, he has consistently been the second-choice in goal during his three years in Manchester. Therefore, retaining Ederson and letting him mentor Trafford during the final year of his contract makes more sense from a footballing standpoint. It would also give the Brazil international the opportunity to have a heroes’ farewell, which he has earned after the many years of service he has given to the club.

Ortega’s Career at City

If Ortega does depart this summer, he will be one of the most fondly remembered backup goalkeepers in City’s history. The German joined the Cityzens in the summer of 2022 from Arminia Bielefeld, who had just been relegated from the Bundesliga, and he was an instant success. The German established himself as one of the best back-up goalkeepers in England as he played 14 games en route to City’s historic treble. The 32-year-old played every minute of football in the FA Cup, and the Cityzens did not concede a goal from open play in that time.

Ortega also played a crucial part in securing City their fourth consecutive Premier League title in the 2023/24 season. He played 20 games in all competitions, six more than in his debut season, but the one that will be best remembered will be away at Tottenham Hotspur. After coming on as a substitute, the German international made a vital save in a one-on-one situation during the penultimate game of the season, essentially winning City the title in the process.

Last campaign, City’s number 18 made a further 22 appearances for Guardiola’s side, taking his total number of games for the Cityzens to 56. His final competitive appearance may well have been against Al Ain in the Club World Cup.