Stefan Ortega’s days at Manchester City appear to be numbered.
Yesterday, the club announced the return of James Trafford in a deal worth £27 million two years after he left for Burnley.
Trafford has taken the number one shirt, and the intention is for him to take over from Ederson as the regular at Manchester City in 2026/27.
For now though, Trafford will push Ederson, who is out of contract next term.
The move for Trafford has now prompted City to tell Ortega that he is free to leave the club this summer, and the German is not short of suitors.
Ortega was recently linked with Burnley and Leicester City, but that doesn’t appear to be on the table anymore.
But one club that are surprisingly in for Stefan Ortega now are City’s bitter rivals, Manchester United.
How Stefan Ortega feels about potential Manchester United transfer
Ortega has been a brilliant servant for City.
He arrived at the club on a free transfer three years ago, after suffering relegation with German club Arminia Bielefeld.
It was a signing that didn’t really have a great deal of fanfare, given Erling Haaland was the main attraction that summer.
But Ortega went on to prove himself for City, operating as a fantastic back-up to Ederson while making important contributions to the club’s haul of trophies.
But now his exit looks very likely, and Football Transfers are claiming that Manchester United are interested.
And actually, Ortega is said to be open to discussing the move, which will surprise some people given the rivalry.
It is stated that no formal bid has been lodged yet, and currently, there is no suggestion of how much City would want for Ortega.
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Man United could pay handsomely for Ortega
United showing interest in Ortega means that City could make a handsome profit on the German, after landing him for free three years ago.
United are in the market for a new goalkeeper with Andre Onana having left a lot to be desired since he arrived at Old Trafford.
| Stefan Ortega for Manchester City (2022-present) |
| Appearances – 56 |
| Clean sheets – 25 |
| Goals conceded – 51 |
| Trophies won – 7 |
Ortega has proven himself as a solid and dependable goalkeeper for City, and would genuinely start for a lot of other clubs. And he is now in a difficult spot after the arrival of Trafford, so it’s hard to see him not moving on.
Ortega is admittedly now in the final year of his contract.
But United are known for paying over the odds for players, so perhaps that could be the case again here, given their dire need for a new stopper.
