Why Manchester City should sign Guaita as a back-up for Ederson
According to Spanish publication AS via SportWitness (h/t Manchester Evening News), Manchester City have made an approach for Crystal Palace goalkeeper Vincente Guaita.
The Spaniard has been contacted by Pep Guardiola’s side following some impressive outings for the Eagles in the league this season, the report added.
Meanwhile, City see him as one of the candidates to give first keeper Ederson a fight for his spot if their second-choice keeper Claudio Bravo decides to leave the club at the end of the season, the report claims.
Bravo, who is 36 already, has a contract at City which expires in the summer and Guardiola’s side are eager to bolster their goalkeeping options with this in mind.
The Palace shot-stopper has been excellent so far, keeping 6 clean sheets from the 17 league games he has started. His eye-catching displays in goal have earned him a regular place in Roy Hodgson’s side.
He has been so crucial to Palace’s campaign this year, helping them to 9th place in the table, with the side conceding 21 goals in 19 matches. His rich vein of form has seen the Eagles boast an impressive defensive record in the top-flight this term.
Also, the 32-year-old is currently fourth on the list of Premier League keepers with most clean sheets and has kept as many clean sheets as Man City’s Ederson, who is considered one of the best in the world at the moment.
Guaita, who spent his entire professional career in Spain, made a switch to the Premier League just last season but it seems to have clicked well for the Spaniard, who had a rather complicated spell at former side Getafe.
However, it was not easy for him to adjust to life at Selhurst Park after arriving in the summer of 2018. It was not until matchday 17 of last season that he was promoted as the first-choice – a position which he has held on to till date.
Except for a few injuries and squad rotation processes, Guaita has rarely seen himself out of the line-up.
However, he has a contract at Selhurst Park until the summer of 2021 and with the goalkeeper relishing his role to great effect, it remains to be seen if he would prefer a move away if an offer arrives from City.
Meanwhile, defending champions City desperately need a good back-up, after an injury to Ederson saw old guard Bravo failing to live up to the standards.
The Chilean has conceded 8 goals and kept just 1 clean sheet from the 7 games he has played across all competitions this season.
Read more:
- Why Man City should sign Sancho to keep their attacking strength intact
- Why Ousmane Dembele to Man City would be a match made in heaven
- Why City should simply splash the cash to seal Sterling’s future
A worrying factor indeed for Guardiola, who would be keen on closing the gap between his side and leaders Liverpool. Hence, City’s interest in the man-in-form Guaita is quite understandable.
Verdict
A top side like Manchester City need a quality goalkeeper and who better than Guaita, who seems to be in the best form of his career. Also, with Bravo’s current deal set to expire soon, it would be safe if City make a move for the Eagles custodian sooner than later.
(Note: This article was written before the Boxing Day fixtures)