Manchester City plotting goalkeeping overhaul
A lot has been made about Pep Guardiola’s decision-making process when it’s come to goalkeepers this season.
Early on, it was decided that Joe Hart did not have a future at the club and the four-time Premier League Golden Glove winner was to be sent packing and with no club ready to meet the asking price, he joined Torino on loan for the 2016/17 season where he’s enjoying some success.
As a replacement, Guardiola brought in Claudio Bravo, Barcelona’s No.1 and someone Pep knew well from his time in La Liga. The Chilean has been largely disappointing and has recently been dropped for long-serving backup Willy Caballero.
It’s clear that Guardiola does not have an answer right now to his questions between the sticks but he plans on rectifying it in the summer, according to Goal.
Caballero was largely tipped to leave the Etihad last summer only for the club to decide Joe Hart was best suited for the chopping block and the Argentine has put in some decent displays of late since replacing Bravo in the line-up.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, Goal understands that City plan on offering the 35-year-old veteran stopper a new one-year deal to stay at the club for the 2017/17 season.
Despite this, the former Malaga man will only commit his future to the club if he continues as their No.1 next season and he says the decision he makes will be in the best interest of his family.
“I’ve been abroad for many years now, and I’m not on my own now, I have my family with me, and I need to think for the best for them,” he told Goal this week. “I don’t owe anyone, and I’m not crazy about going back right now. When the year finishes, and depending on what happens in City, I’ll think about what’s best for everyone.”
As for Claudio Bravo, the Chilean has crumbled under the pressure this season and has rightly been dropped by Guardiola after receiving great media criticism for his performances this season.
City shelled out £15.3m to sign the 33-year-old from Barcelona but he only managed to keep four clean sheets in 19 Premier League games prior to being replaced by Caballero for the 4-0 win at West Ham.
It’s understood that the club have not yet come to a decision on Bravo’s future just yet as they do harbour hope that the former Real Sociedad star can turn it around.
One man who will not be returning to City next season is Joe Hart. England’s No.1 is enjoying a great year on loan in Serie A but Torino accept they will be unable to persuade him to stay, with his representatives already looking for a Premier League move amid links with West Ham and Liverpool.
Replacements? City have begun drawing up a list of potential signings, especially if Caballero decides to call time on his City career or if Bravo isn’t seen as a long-term option between the sticks.
With an emphasis on recruiting ‘Home-Grown’ players to keep in line with the FA quota, City are keeping tabs on Jordan Pickford’s situation at Sunderland with a view to a summer transfer.
Despite Sunderland’s dismal season, Pickford has been one bright spot at the Stadium of Light with his performances earning him a maiden call-up to the England national squad.
The 22-year-old will be a hot commodity in the summer, especially if the Black Cats are relegated, and the Premier League struggles firmly believe that Pickford will leave regardless of what happens between now and the end of the season.
While no official bid has been made, City have asked for Sunderland to keep them abreast of any developments regarding his future as they plot their end of season move.
Benfica’s Ederson is another player under consideration, but the Liga NOS side are unwilling to do business below his €45m release clause and Goal understands that City have no yet opened talks to sign the 23-year-old.
The ‘X-Factor’ in this scenario? Geronimo Rulli. The Argentine goalkeeper spent two seasons on loan with Real Sociedad from Uruguayan outfit Deportivo Maldonado between 2014 and 2016 but left the club at the end of the 2015/16 season.
Maldonado have made a name for themselves using their large financial backing to buy some of South America’s most talented players and loaning them out into Europe with a view to a profitable permanent move.
Notable players they’ve sold include Alex Sandro, now of Juventus but previously of Porto, Willian Jose who is enjoying a great spell with Real Sociedad and Allan who has built a strong career in Serie A with Udinese and Napoli.
This past summer, striker Jonathan Calleri left Maldonado to join West Ham on a season-long loan and City bought Rulli in a £4m deal before immediately loaning him back to Sociedad, where he had spent the last two seasons in a deal which became permanent for £6m on January 1st, 2017.
Essentially an FFP loop-hole, the convoluted transfer was organised to bypass FIFA regulations successfully, but City have reportedly retained an interest in re-signing Rulli in the future.
As part of the deal, City negotiated a buy-back clause, or if they don’t fancy signing him, they’re entitled to 30% of his future sell-on fee. Widely linked with a return (of sorts) to City, Rulli has performed well for Sociedad with City making regular checks on his progress.
However, sources close to City and Rulli inform Goal that they aren’t expecting the Manchester club to re-sign the 24-year-old, with Sociedad still in the process of paying off the second instalment on Rulli’s transfer fee.
Still, Rulli is considered more likely to turn out for City next season than Joe Hart.