Pep still keeping his options open
AFTER signing a new contract in November, Zack Steffen admitted his relief that his long-term future at City was secured.
Just seven months on, and his future is up in the air, with the Blues open to bringing in 29-year-old goalkeeper Stefan Ortega on a free transfer from Arminia Bielefield.
Both harbour World Cup ambitions, both are unlikely to accept not being City’s No.2, and both are unlikely to leapfrog Ederson to get regular games under Pep
Guardiola. That begs the question, why would you be a back-up keeper at City?
There are plenty of positives to holding on to Steffen, and there are no guarantees he would even leave if Ortega arrived.
He is a very capable stopper, a US international, a popular squad member and has been the closest City have come to genuine competition for Ederson.
His new contract was well received, and City would always be confident of throwing him in if Ederson got injured. His mistakes in the FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool aside, Steffen has largely been a reliable back-up.
But with a World Cup coming up, and Steffen facing competition from Arsenal-bound Matt Turner for his place in the American side, the only way to show he’s deserving of the No.1 jersey for the US is to put in performances between August and November.
Aside from the Community Shield and only one guaranteed Carabao Cup game, Steffen might play just 180 minutes before the World Cup, when he could be getting four months of regular games elsewhere.
So if he were to leave, either permanently or on loan, it would be understandable, even if City were losing their best No.2 in years.
In that scenario, Ortega could be a good free transfer. No keeper made more saves than him in the Bundesliga last season, and he could still make Germany’s World Cup squad, although it wouldn’t be as No.1 or No.2. He would need time to learn the Blues’ build-fromthe-back tactics, of which the goalkeeper is crucial, and would face the same game-time challenges as Steffen, but as a replacement he appears to fit the criteria. In general, though, it’s a situation that highlights the difficulties of keeping everyone happy in a position that is dominated by one player, as well as
keeping Ederson suitably challenged.
Anywhere else on the pitch, and there are opportunities to rotate, but the Brazilian has the keeping position locked down and there are fewer opportunities for a second-choice keeper to step up.
It’s even harder for one of City’s talented young academy keepers, too, with Gavin Bazunu leaving permanently for Southampton and James Trafford spending another year on loan at Bolton.
Both had declared ambitions to be the Blues’ future No.1, but Ederson
isn’t going anywhere and City will always then need a capable back-up.
A youngster could work, as it did in the case of Aro Muric in 2018/19, but may come with greater risk, and those players are better off getting experience elsewhere to prove they’re ready for the first team.
Once they’ve got that taste of regular football, though, it’s hard to drop down to being a No.2, even at City.
Steffen may have been happy with his place earlier this year, but if he’s serious about that World Cup spot he would understandably have a decision to make if Ortega arrives.
For City, replacing a secondchoice goalkeeper is arguably an easy enough task. However, their interest in Ortega hardly tells Ederson his own place is under threat, and shows any youngster or prospective signing that the chances of regular football are slim.
It just shows how hard it is to find a perfect balance for competition in that department, even if City do boast one of the best goalkeepers in the world.