Ederson Is Man City’s No. 1 – For Now, Says Guardiola

Ederson is reportedly keen on a move to join Galatasaray but City are clear they do not want to sell the 31-year-old.

Pep Guardiola has insisted that Ederson remains his first-choice goalkeeper at Manchester City amid speculation linking the Brazil international with a move to Turkey.

Ederson is reportedly keen on a move to join Galatasaray but City are clear they do not want to sell the 31-year-old, who has one year left on his contract.

City have themselves been strongly linked with Paris St Germain’s unwanted goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, having already spent £27m to bring James Trafford back from Burnley.

But asked who was in line to start in goal in Saturday’s Premier League opener away to Wolves, Guardiola said it would be Ederson.

“Right now, Eddy (is No 1),” he said. “He’s fit, yeah.”

This summer has seen City bring in Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki and Trafford, as well as reserve goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli and youngster Sveree Nypan.

But last season Guardiola had said he would “quit” if he had too many players on the books and there is still plenty of work to be done moving players on.

Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and Scott Carson have left from the old guard, while Jack Grealish has gone on loan to Everton and January signing Vitor Reis has been loaned to sister club Girona.

“Pre-season is a dream,” Guardiola said. “We have 40 players, it’s not a problem. Pre-season is a paradise, 45 players is fine, everyone accepts it. From tomorrow, I have players who are not selected – it’s not a problem because they are professionals, but it’s not nice.

“You have to (have enough) that everybody competes to have the chance they can play on Saturday, that is when you get the best of them. When you have a lot of players, every week is (leave them) at home, it makes no sense. You have to find the right way.”

James McAtee is expected to join Nottingham Forest and Tottenham have held talks over Savinho.

Kalvin Phillips has no future at the club and goalkeeper Stefan Ortega is also expected to leave, given the competition for places.

“If they stay it’s fine, but they know it,” Guardiola said “The reality is that so they know it. If they stay, for me it’s fine. It’s not ideal but it’s my job, I do it. But if they want to play regularly, maybe it’s not going to happen.”

Independent.co.uk