Manchester City are set to let one of their “incredible” fringe players leave this summer amid interest from Leicester City and Burnley.
Manchester City have been busy strengthening their ranks this summer as they look to reclaim the Premier League title next season.
Now, the Citizens are about to strengthen in another department, with James Trafford set to return to Man City from Burnley.
With three top-level goalkeepers now at Pep Guardiola’s disposal, it has been reported that one is now expected to leave in the coming weeks.
Leicester City and Burnley keen on Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega
Ben Jacobs was one of the many journalists who covered City’s re-signing of Trafford, who returned to the Etihad after the Citizens activated their buyback clause.
Jacobs then reported that Stefan Ortega is now set to depart and, whilst interest from Burnley has been known for some time, Leicester are also said to be in pursuit.
Burnley are looking for a replacement for Trafford, while Leicester have let Danny Ward leave on a free transfer, while Mads Hermansen is being linked with a move away.
How Stefan Ortega helped Manchester City make football history
Ortega has made 56 competitive appearances for City, and one of those proved pivotal in Man City’s unprecedented fourth Premier League title triumph in a row.
City’s penultimate game of the 2023/24 season saw them head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face Spurs.
Erling Haaland gave City the lead on 51 minutes, but midway through the second half, Ederson had to come off, with Ortega taking his place.
Ortega then produced a fine save from a Dejan Kulusevski effort and what looked to be a certain goal from Son Heung-min in the 86th minute.
Haaland added a second in injury time, but had Spurs equalised – or even gone ahead – before then, City would have been at serious risk of missing out on the title.
As it turned out, City moved two points clear at the summit heading into the final day of the season – and the rest is history.
“He’s done that since he arrived,” Guardiola said after the match, as per TNT Sports.
“When we arrived, we saw the standard of keeper that he is. We know that. He makes incredible, incredible saves many, many times.
“In that moment, one or two actions, because they are so fast, Kulusevski, Maddison, with Johnson, Son. Fantastic players. The runners with the ball.
“They have a lot of weapons, speed behind the defenders. An exceptional team. We knew we had to suffer.”
Meanwhile, Kyle Walker said: “Stefan has got that spread, hasn’t he. He reminds me of Neuer, the German goalkeepers have got that spreading.”
