Manchester City have made their second signing of the summer after completing a protracted deal for Benfica goalkeeper Ederson Moraes for a fee of £35m from Benfica.
The reason for the delay over the announcement is believed to have been due to a delay in sorting out the complex third party ownership concerns to the satisfaction of the Premier League, with Benfica reporting that they would pay 50% of the fee to “third parties”.
Ederson – a Brazil U-23 international – will take up the number 31 shirt after the departure of much loved City goalkeeper Willy Caballero at the end of his contract.
The 23-year-old won the Portuguese league and cup double this season after breaking into the Benfica first team last March.
He’s known to be a player who can play out from the back, in a style demanded by City boss Pep Guardiola, and powerful yet accurate kicking which can defy a counter press from opposition.
More importantly, the physically imposing keeper, who is also taller than City’s number one Claudio Bravo, will be challenging for the Chilean’s first team berth as the new season gets under way.
Ederson will have plenty of Brazilian team-mates to help him fit in and learn English – he will join Gabriel Jesus, Fernandinho and Fernando in the squad as the second new arrival following Portuguese play-maker Bernardo Silva from Monaco.
Ederson’s arrival follows confirmation of the departure of Angus Gunn to Norwich City on a season long loan – Gunn had spent time on the substitutes bench towards the end of last season after injury prematurely ended Claudio Bravo’s season but didn’t get any game time.
The future of Joe Hart remains uncertain, however, with the England custodian confirming his departure from Torino after a loan spell in which he was named in a Serie A worst XI at the end of the season due to some high profile goalkeeping errors in Italy.
Hart is in the England squad for games against Scotland and France but believes he is “surplus to requirements” at City.
#WelcomeEderson https://t.co/mxjG4AAYuh
— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 8, 2017