Ederson joins Manchester City in world record deal as Pep Guardiola continues £300m summer overhaul
The 23-year-old follows Bernado Silva as City’s second signing of the summer, taking the club’s spending to £78m already
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Benfica goalkeeper Ederson for a fee believed to be around £35m.
The 23-year-old follows Bernado Silva as City’s second signing of the summer, taking the club’s spending to £78m already.
The final details of Ederson’s transfer were initially held up by the complexities of his current third-party ownership agreement, which under Premier League rules must be resolved prior to registration, but City have since settled the matter.
The player himself cites Pep Guardiola's influence as key in his decision to move to the Etihad.
“I like everything about Manchester City," he said. "This is a great club, the league they have here in England and they have amazing fans and they play splendid football. I have always had the dream to play in English football and now I'm going to make it true.
“With Pep Guardiola, City are growing more and more. He is putting in place a young team for the future. Those were important factors in making my decision.
“Manchester City has an amazing squad. I think they managed to have a good season. Next season, we will have to be focused to achieve the goal of winning trophies.”
After exiling Joe Hart to Serie A at the start of his City career, Guardiola has been left unimpressed with his replacement Claudio Bravo.
Bravo lost his place as City’s No 1 to Willy Caballero during his debut season but the Argentine was released by the club late last month, leaving Guardiola short of options in the goalkeeping department.
Ederson is now expected to step in as Guardiola’s main goalkeeper, having made a name for himself as one of the game’s best ball-playing goalkeepers during his two years at Benfica.
At £35m the youngster becomes the most expensive goalkeeper in transfer history, surpassing the £33m paid out by Juventus to sign Gianluigi Buffon from Parma.
Ederson joins Silva at the Etihad who arrived arrived last month from Monaco.
The pair will likely be joined by former club mate Benjamin Mendy while Kyle Walker is also expected to sign following talks with City's sporting director, Txiki Begiristain, in London over the weekend.
Walker and Mendy's arrivals are part of Guardiola's desire to inject more speed into his team, while the likes of Silva add speed of thought and the technical ability that he needs in his creative players.
Silva has been likened to Andrés Iniesta, who ascended to become one of the world's finest midfielders under Guardiola's tutelage.
The Spaniard has also charged Begiristain with signing him a top-class central defender who fits his system.
The club are keen on Aymeric Laporte, who turned down a move last summer but may be willing to reconsider his stance this June, and Marquinhos, who Paris Saint-Germain could sell as they clear house.
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