Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has now personally requested the signing of the “best goalkeeper in the world”, according to a report.
Man City eyeing goalkeeper amid Ederson doubts
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson has now revealed that Ederson has had doubts over his future at the Etihad Stadium over the past few years, saying: “I think Ederson’s been close to wanting to leave on a number of occasions over the last couple of years after either being tempted by Saudi or just feeling that he needed a change of scenery.”
Since then, the Brazilian is thought to have made it clear he wants to see out his contract with the Blues, but with his deal set to come to an end next summer, Guardiola has now started looking at potential replacements for the shot-stopper.
The goalkeeper’s performance in the Club World Cup loss against Al-Hilal will certainly have done him no favours, receiving the lowest SofaScore rating of any City player after shipping four goals in the shock defeat.
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Yassine Bounou, on the other hand, put in a remarkable display, receiving an 8.9 match rating after making eight saves from inside the box, and Guardiola is thought to be fascinated by the Al-Hilal goalkeeper.
That is according to a report from Spain, which states Guardiola has now personally requested the signing of Bounou, with Man City continuing to explore options to strengthen the goalkeeper area prior to the start of the new Premier League season.
A move back to Europe could appeal to the 34-year-old, despite raking in £162k-a-week with the Saudi Pro League side, and the veteran’s recent performance against Guardiola’s side suggests he still has what it takes to be a success in the Premier League.
Bounou dubbed "the best goalkeeper in the world"
Former Saudi Arabia international Mohamed Al-Deayea certainly holds the Al-Hilal star in very high regard, describing him as “the best goalkeeper in the world” less than a year ago, but there are doubts over whether he would be a suitable signing for City.
Of course, the Morocco shot-stopper is clearly very talented, most memorably impressing at the 2022 World Cup, with Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez stating his counterpart was the best goalkeeper at the competition.
However, the Morocco international is now 34-years-old, over two years older than Ederson, so he is unlikely to be a long-term replacement for the Brazilian, and it may be a wise decision to bring in a younger goalkeeper.
Bounou arguably deserves a chance to prove himself at a top club, but his age is a problem, and Al-Hilal are unlikely to be willing to sanction a departure after his most recent performance against Man City.