Keeper joins Pep’s £300m City rebuild
MANCheSTeR CITY completed a record-breaking deal for Benfica keeper ederson Moraes yesterday as Pep Guardiola continued an overhaul of his squad that could cost up to £ 300million this summer.
ederson’s £34.7m transfer follows Bernardo Silva’s £43m move to the etihad — and City are set to make as many as six more signings.
They will step up their attempts to land Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal and are increasingly hopeful of beating Bayern Munich to sign the unsettled Chile star.
It is understood Sanchez wants to join City and play under his former Barcelona coach Guardiola.
City are also working on deals for three full backs — with Monaco’s £ 40m- rated Benjamin Mendy, Tottenham right back Kyle Walker and Southampton left back Ryan Bertrand the top targets.
Another centre back is also on the list, while a midfielder could also be on the cards.
The ederson deal, in particular, was complicated by City having to buy out the third- party ownership of the goalkeeper’s economic rights.
ederson’s old Portuguese club Rio Ave will receive 30 per cent of the fee and Gestifute, the agency run by Portuguese super agent Jorge Mendes, get a further 20 per cent.
The fee for the 23-year-old breaks the British transfer record for a goalkeeper, eclipsing the £18.9m deal that took David de Gea to Manchester United from Atletico Madrid six years ago.
ederson has agreed a five-year contract to be City’s new No 1 but it is understood that Claudio Bravo wants to stay and fight for his place.
Joe hart remains on City’s books after a season on loan at Torino but is expected to be sold this summer.
ederson said: ‘My life was made of opportunities and I knew how to take advantage of them. everyone knows here the competition is ferocious. I’m going to try to adapt as quickly as possible.’
The Brazilian hopes he can be the type of sweeper-keeper Guardiola wants to anchor his team.
‘I think that revolution in the way goalkeepers get involved in the game was very important,’ the former Benfica keeper added.
‘I always try to transmit confidence to my team-mates.’