English Premier League champions Manchester City have officially announced the signing of goalkeeper Stefan Ortega from Arminia Bielefeld on a three-year deal following his medical last week.
The 29-year-old is seen as the best option to replace Zack Steffen and he will also be Ederson’s No 2 at the Etihad stadium. Stefan Ortega’s announcement makes him the second player to join Pep Guardiola’s team after signing Erling Haaland, as he looks to strengthen his squad ahead of next season.
The Cityzens started looking for a replacement for United States of America’s goalkeeper Zack Steffen after he made a huge mistake during their 3-2 defeat to Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final in April. The American goalkeeper still had up to three years left in his contract with Manchester City but is set to leave on a loan deal to get enough playing time.
Ortega will now be the second option at the goal for Pep Guardiola and will always step in when Ederson is not used. However, the 6 times English Premier League champions have revealed that his ‘move is subject to international clearance’.
We are pleased to announce the signing of goalkeeper Stefan Ortega Moreno on a three-year deal 🧤
— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 1, 2022
Welcome to City, Stefan! 💙
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Speaking about his deal with Manchester City’s official website, the 29-year-old stated: “This is a fantastic move for me. Manchester City are an amazing team – a squad with world-class quality in every area. To be given the chance to join this group of players and help continue the Club’s success is a dream for me.”
He continued: “I know the style of Pep and I love to see how they play football. I think I have the quality to also show this performance. I think I am a good teammate and I make a lot of jokes! But on the pitch, I want to win every game. Whether it is a training game or a real game, I am ambitious and I want to reach the top.”
Ortega was a regular starter for Arminia Bielefeld in Bundesliga last season; he missed just one game due to the COVID-19 virus. The German goalkeeper allowed 53 goals in 33 games while only keeping six clean sheets, hence he was unable to stop Arminia from getting relegated.
Comfortable with passing the ball across the field, the experienced goalkeeper was Manuel Neuer’s back-up for Germany at the Euro 2020 and has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich but didn’t work out.
Pep Guardiola will certainly give the German an opportunity to play in the domestic cup competitions and maybe in the Premier League or Champions League but as back-up to Ederson.
