Man City  planning to offer new contract to Key Player amid Saudi interest

Manchester City are reportedly prepared to offer Ederson a new contract in a bid to fend off interest from Saudi Arabia. Both Ederson and his teammate Kevin De Bruyne have been linked with potential moves to Saudi Arabia this summer. While Man City expect the duo to remain at the club, there is some concern that they could have their heads turned by the lucrative offers from the Saudi Pro League.

Earlier this month, a report claimed that Al-Nassr were set to submit a bid for Ederson, with the Saudi Arabian club prepared to offer a two-year contract worth €60m (£51m). Al-Nassr are seemingly keen to add Ederson to a squad that already includes high-profile names such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Aymeric Laporte, Marcelo Brozovic, and Sadio Mane.

According to The Sun, the Premier League champions are willing to offer Ederson an improved contract to secure his future at the club. While they cannot match the terms offered by Al-Nassr, Man City are prepared to give him a 75% increase on his current salary.

The Citizens are set to meet with Ederson’s representatives next week to discuss a deal which would see him earn around £1m a month.

The report claims that Man City hope their willingness to give Ederson a pay increase will convince him to stay at the club for the foreseeable future. However, they will look to entertain offers in the region of £50m if the shot-stopper makes it clear that he will not extend his current contract, which is set to run until June 2026.

How important is Ederson to Man City?

Ederson has been a key figure in the Man City side ever since joining the club from Portuguese giants Benfica in the summer of 2017. The Brazil international has gone on to keep 155 clean sheets in 332 matches to help the Citizens win 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the 2022-23 Champions League.

However, Pep Guardiola has shown he has faith in Ederson’s deputy Stefan Ortega, who recorded eight shutouts in 20 competitive appearances last season. Last month, the former Bochum goalkeeper signed a contract to extend his two-year stay at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2026.

If Ederson were to depart, Man City would have to decide whether to promote Ortega to the number one spot or delve into the transfer market to recruit a new first-choice goalkeeper.