Manchester City are reportedly on the verge of signing German goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, with the 29-year-old set for a medical next week.
According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, soon-to-be free agent Stefan Ortega will complete his medical with Manchester City next week as he closes in on a Bosman move to the Etihad from Arminia Bielefeld.
Ortega is a product of the Arminia Bielefeld youth academy and is currently in his second stint with the German outfit. Having left his boyhood club for 1860 Munich in 2014, the 29-year-old returned three years later on a free transfer and has been a mainstay in the side ever since.
Ortega has featured 220 times for Arminia Bielefeld and kept 65 clean sheets in the process. He featured 33 times in the Bundesliga last season and managed six shut-outs as Arminia finished second from bottom and were relegated. With the 29-year-old’s contract with the club expiring in less than a week, he has decided to move on this summer as a free agent.
And Premier League champions Manchester City have emerged as a surprise destination for Ortega. Reports earlier in the week indicated that the Cityzens were closing in on the capture of the 29-year-old German star on a Bosman deal.
Now Florian Plettenberg has provided an update on the situation, stating that Ortega has already agreed a three-year contract with Manchester City and will sign a deal until the summer of 2025. The Sky Germany journalist also adds that the outgoing Arminia Bielefeld star is scheduled to complete his medical with the Premier League giants next week.
Despite Arminia Bielefeld’s relegation last season, Ortega has earned a reputation for himself as one of the better-performing goalkeepers in the Bundesliga. And a move to one of the biggest clubs in England, where he will get to work with one of the best managers in the game in Pep Guardiola is certainly a momentous occasion in his career.
Manchester City have Ederson as their first-choice goalkeeper, with Zack Steffen operating as the understudy. The English champions have already sold one goalkeeper this summer, with 20-year-old Gavin Bazunu moving to Southampton. And Steffen is now likely to be on the move as well, with the Mancunian outfit primed to replace the USMNT star with Ortega.
Manchester City have already signed Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland and have an agreement in place to bring in Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United. With Ortega also set to join, the reigning Premier League champions are going about their transfer business in a swift manner this summer.
