Ederson started in the friendly match against FC Barcelona, which ended in a penalty victory for the Catalans. This is a crucial moment for his future with the team, as confirmed by Pep Guardiola’s words after the match held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
“I hope he stays with us because he is a person I love and care about. He has given us so much. He is a fantastic goalkeeper, and I would like things to be resolved as soon as possible,” said the Premier League champion’s coach in an interview with TNT Sports Brasil.
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The Brazilian goalkeeper has been approached by clubs from the Arab football scene with a multimillion-dollar offer. However, the latest information from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano indicates that negotiations with Al Ittihad have been stalled for a week, and that club has already opted for Serbian Predrag Rajković as an alternative for the goalkeeping position.
“If he has to leave, I will understand with all my heart. But I hope it gets resolved soon so he can focus, and we can prepare well for the start of the season,” Guardiola requested in light of this situation that has been dragging on since the beginning of the transfer window.
In the match against Barcelona, which ended 2-2 in regulation time, Ederson was substituted at halftime for Stefan Ortega. The media outlet The Athletic reported last week that the Brazilian was upset about the prominence the German had gained, which was denied by the player himself on social media.
For now, time is running out for a concrete decision on whether Ederson will stay or leave. City will have their last preseason friendly against Chelsea on August 3 in Columbus, Ohio, and a week later, they will compete for their first title of the campaign: on the 10th, they face Manchester United to decide the champion of the Community Shield.
