It has been reported that Manchester City have set their sights on signing one goalkeeper as their primary target if Ederson Moraes leaves the club in the summer.
Around two weeks ago, it was claimed that Ederson is considering leaving City at the end of the season.
Last Tuesday, it was stated that if a club was willing to pay a fee in the region of £50 million, the Sky Blues would be open to a sale.
Man City view 28-year-old as top summer target if Ederson leaves
As per The Sun on Sunday (page 64, 02/06/2024), Manchester City consider Mike Maignan as their “top target” if Ederson departs the club in the summer.
It has been claimed that just in case City’s number 31 leaves the club in the summer transfer window, they are taking a close look at Maignan.
The report states that with the former Lille goalkeeper set to garner attention as France’s number one at Euro 2024, AC Milan are aware that several clubs will showcase an interest in his signature.
Milan are believed to feel that they could lose their talismanic shotstopper this summer.
Mike Maignan would be the perfect replacement for the Brazilian
In our view, while losing Ederson would be a massive blow for Manchester City, Mike Maignan would be the perfect heir to his throne.
Much like the Brazilian, Maignan is renowned for being proficient with the ball at his feet — being an excellent passer, both over short and long distances as well as being relatively two-footed.
The Frenchman, similar to Ederson is also a dominant presence in the box, claiming 9.7% of his crosses per match — as per FbRef, his percentile score of 93 means only seven per cent of goalkeepers across Europe’s top five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League have been superior to him over the last 365 days.
As a shotstopper, Maignan’s save percentage (75%) is superior to Ederson’s (69.1%) as well over the last 365 days.
Much like the former Benfica goalkeeper, the Serie A winner is not only terrific at saving shots but at preventing them too, being an expert sweeper ‘keeper.
Mike Maignan is one of the best examples of the archetypal modern-day goalkeeper and if Manchester City sign him to replace Ederson, he could prove to be a worthy successor to the club legend.