Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson hits back at ‘completely false’ claims he was ‘affected’ by praise for team-mate Stefan Ortega… and insists he is ‘fully focused’ on next season despite interest from Saudi Arabia
- Report claims Ederson was affected by praise Ortega received against Tottenham
- Ortega made world-class save to deny Son Heung-min late in title race
- Ederson claims report is ‘completely’ false and focuses on new season
The Manchester City goalkeeper has responded to claims he was “affected” by praise for team-mate Stefan Ortega.
The Brazilian goalkeeper has been a key cog in Pep Guardiola’s title-winning machine in recent years, having arrived from Benfica for around £33million in 2017 as a replacement for Claudio Bravo.
He is widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world and has succeeded Manuel Neuer as the undisputed king of libero goalkeepers.
Yet he has been linked with a move to Al-Ittihad and the Saudi Pro League despite his status in the game, with Man City having set a £50million price tag.
The Athletic reported earlier this week that Ederson was “affected” by the praise his team-mate Stefan Ortega garnered for his world-class save against Son Heung-min in a crucial Premier League trip to Tottenham.
Manchester City goalkeeper hits back at claims he was ‘affected’ by praise for Stefan Ortega
Ortega made a world-class save from Son Heung-min in a crucial Premier League trip to Tottenham
Ederson took to social media to brand the report “completely false” and insisted he was “fully focused” on the upcoming season.
He wrote in an Instagram post: “I want to clarify that the note published yesterday by The Athletic, referring to my alleged dissatisfaction with a colleague, is completely false.
“The day that is supposedly reported was, without a doubt, one of the most difficult days of my career, when I suffered a fracture that prevented me from playing in the final stretch of the season and, therefore, from representing my country in the Copa América.
“At the time of the injury, my only thought was to continue the game, to defend City in the fight for the title that we had won, but the emotion of the game would be greater than the reality and, inevitably, I would not be able to continue as I would have liked due to the damage it would have caused, completely blocking my field of vision.
“I remain focused on preparing for the season.”
Ederson’s wife also responded to the report, posting on Instagram: “Get better information first, this is fake news.”
German goalkeeper Ortega was understandably applauded for his heroics against Tottenham, although some fans appeared to suggest that Ederson himself might not have made the save – which apparently angered the Brazilian.
Pep Guardiola has provided an update on Ederson’s future following his side’s 4-3 pre-season friendly defeat to Celtic on Wednesday.
Ederson had to be replaced against Tottenham after suffering a head injury but was visibly frustrated on the bench
“I would like him to stay but it depends on the other clubs,” Guardiola said. “I don’t know the situation.
“There has been no contact in recent days. It’s a question of training, of being with us until the end of the transfer window and we’ll see.”
Interest from the Saudi Pro League in the City goalkeeper has been intense in recent months, with Al-Nassr initially hoping to lure the Brazilian away from the Etihad Stadium.
Their £25m offer is well below City’s valuation but Al-Ittihad have received enough encouragement to open a dialogue with the Premier League champions.
He is believed to be valued at around £50million and Al-Ittihad are ready to test that resolve in what would be a major coup for the SPL.
