Manchester City are reportedly considering a move for German goalkeeper Stefan Ortega as a replacement for current back-up Zack Steffen.
The Premier League champions are looking to strengthen their goalkeeper position this summer and have identified Ortega as the man to provide cover for Ederson.
Their current second-choice goalie Steffen wants more first-team football next season to ensure he is first-choice for the USA in the World Cup this November.
Apart from wanting more game-time, Steffen has also not convinced Pep Guardiola that he is a reliable cover for Ederson. The USA international is error-prone, and his blunder contributed to a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final in April. And since then, City have reportedly been looking to move on.
The 27-year-old’s contract at the Etihad is set to expire in June 2025, but he could be heading towards the exit sooner.
And according to Sportsmail, if Steffen leaves this summer, City will sign Ortega, who is available on a free transfer from Bundesliga side Arminia Bielefeld.
The 29-year-old shot-stopper was unable to prevent Arminia from being relegated from the German topflight last season, conceding 53 goals in 33 games and keeping just six clean sheets.
Despite the poor numbers for Armenia last season, Ortega is considered a good goalkeeper. He was even on standby for Germany’s Euro 2020 squad. He had also been previously linked with a move to Bayern Munich as a backup to Manuel Neuer, according to Goal.