“I really had a good offer on the table” - Manchester City star opens up on a failed Etihad exit last summer following Pep Guardiola chat

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has revealed that Pep Guardiola convinced him to stay at the Etihad this summer. The Brazilian apparently had a substantial offer to move to the Middle East, but ended up turning down a move to Saudi Arabia.

Ederson has been a key contributor to the Cityzens' recent success. The 31-year-old joined the Premier League champions in 2017 and has since registered 157 clean sheets from 341 games.

Ederson was reportedly a priority target for Al-Nassr over the summer, with the Saudi club willing to offer him £1m in wages. However, the player opted against leaving Manchester City and has now revealed that Guardiola convinced him to stay.

Speaking to TNT, Ederson admitted that he received a lucrative offer over the summer.

"I really had a good offer on the table, an offer that weighed heavily because it was an unusual offer. I also had countless conversations with (City manager Pep) Guardiola, and one of them was decisive," said Guardiola.

He continued:

"What he said - about guarantees, the process and the development I had under him - was decisive when I made the decision to stay at City."

Ederson has appeared nine times across competitions this season for City, registering two clean sheets.

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Will Manchester City sign a new goalkeeper in 2025?

Ederson Moraes

Ederson's contract with Manchester City expires in 2026. The player is already on the wrong side of 30, so the Premier League champions could be planning for the future.

The Cityzens are unlikely to hand Ederson a new deal at the moment. Instead, Manchester City could cash in on him at the end of this season amid interest from the Middle East.

Recent reports have suggested that the English giants already have their eyes on Porto's Diogo Costa as a possible replacement for Ederson. The Portuguese custodian has seen his stock rise following a series of impressive performances in recent seasons.

The 25-year-old is under contract at the Estadio do Dragao until 2027, so he is likely to cost a fat fee. There's also interest from multiple clubs across the continent, including Barcelona, who see him as the ideal replacement for Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The Cityzens have the financial muscle to win the race for Costa next year. However, a lot could depend on Pep Guardiola's future at the Etihad. The Spanish manager is under contract with Manchester City until the end of this season and hasn't signed a new deal yet.