Keeper Ed in city hold-up
MANCHESTER CITY’S bid to wrap up their world record £34.7m deal for goalkeeper Ederson is being held up by red tape.
Etihad bosses have agreed personal terms with the 23-year-old and a fee with Benfica.
Ederson (right), who is set to become the world’s most expensive keeper, has even held a video interview with the club’s website.
But the move has stalled because of the complexities of the Brazilian’s third party ownership.
FA and Premier League bosses are scrutinising the paperwork before the deal can be ratified. The rules say the situation regarding TPO agreements must be resolved before a player can be registered.
But City are confident there will be no problems and the deal should be announced within the next 48 hours.
Ederson is regarded as one of the best in Europe and is set to become Pep Guardiola’s second major signing
are not in concrete talks with anybody at this moment but hearing the market I think some clubs will contact Everton.
“If the price is right for Everton and the project is right for Lukaku, then I think he will want to make another step but we are not there yet.”
United are keen but Chelsea are also interested in taking him back just three years after selling him to the Merseyside club.
Valuable
The Old Trafford outfit will offer Lukaku in excess of £200,000 a week and boss Jose Mourinho will hope the club’s relationship with Raiola, who brokered the deals for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan last summer, will give them an advantage.
Raiola has also revealed that Ibrahimovic wants to stay at United.
The Swedish striker is recovering from a serious knee injury that will sideline him until the start of 2017.
United have the option to extend his current deal by a further 12 months. Ibrahimovic is out of contract and can speak to other clubs but Raiola said: “He would prefer to remain at United. He wants to stay in England, he wants to stay at the top and he can be a valuable asset.
“There are offers from some other great top clubs but I think it is respectful to talk to Man United and to see what all parties want.”
Mourinho is keen to keep the striker who scored 28 goals in his first season and Raiola added: “He has had a fantastic time at United and it is up to the club and myself to see what the future brings.
“For now, it is important he recovers well and then we’ll see.”
Meanwhile, former boss Sir Alex Ferguson has reminded Mourinho that he has to entertain fans as well as win trophies at Old Trafford.
Fergie said: “I think you have a duty and a responsibility to entertain. In my time at United, it was, ‘As long as you win’. If it was 4-3, okay, or 5-4, okay.
“My last game was 5-5. I could not ask for a better score in my last game at United.”