With new England boss Thomas Tuchel set to name his first squad since replacing interim coach, Lee Carsley, next week, there may well be a raft of Manchester City connections running through the Three Lions roster.
Indeed, the German tactician could once again call upon the likes of Phil Foden and Rico Lewis, while ex-Etihad star, Kyle Walker, will also be looking to maintain his regular role as he targets 100 caps for his country. Jack Grealish and John Stones will, however, likely miss out through injury.
Perhaps more interestingly, there may also be a wave of one-time City academy stars involved for the March internationals, with Cole Palmer the headline name, while the likes of Liam Delap and Morgan Rogers – who have scored 17 Premier League goals between them season – may also have an outside chance of inclusion after starring for Ipswich Town and Aston Villa, respectively.
There could even be a wildcard opportunity for Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens to shine after his return of 15 goals and assists in Germany in 2024/25 to date, with the dazzling winger having departed City on a free transfer back in the summer of 2020.
That handful of names may well be joined by another former Man City asset, with Pep Guardiola having perhaps been left to regret another notable sale of recent times…
Man City’s goalkeeping dilemma
Among the number of issues for Guardiola and co to resolve this season is in the goalkeeping department, with the time perhaps having come to acquire a suitable, long-term replacement for Ederson in the sticks.
The unique Brazilian – who has remarkably recorded three Premier League assists this season – had lost his place to teammate Stefan Ortega earlier in the campaign, although has managed to wrestle back his starting berth of late, having started five of the last six top-flight games.
That said, the former Benfica man hasn’t exactly enjoyed a smooth recall to the side, having notably been branded “nowhere near enough” by CBS pundit Jamie Carragher, following the 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid last month.
As Carragher stated following the 31-year-old’s costly errors in that Etihad loss, it is now “at the stage with Man City where they need a new goalkeeper”, particularly with Ederson’s contract set to expire next year.
Ortega has largely been an able deputy, yet the German ‘keeper is even older than his teammate at 32, while having also endured a mixed spell of his own, after scoring an own goal in the narrow victory over Leyton Orient.
With all that in mind – and with reports in recent weeks suggesting that City may splash the cash to sign £62m-rated Porto stopper, Diogo Costa – Guardiola may well regret selling another bright young English talent who could well have walked into the current team.
Man City already sold the perfect Ederson replacement
Ederson may have been off the boil of late, yet it is worth remembering that this is a player who has helped Guardiola’s side sweep all before them over the past eight years or so, with the Citizens having undoubtedly struck a bargain with their £35m capture of the left-footer.
That said, there may be a tinge of frustration that a better succession plan has not been put in place at the Etihad, outside of signing an ageing Ortega as a backup.
Indeed, there may be those – with hindsight on side – who believe that Burnley number one, James Trafford, should have been kept on board, with the 22-year-old now shining in England’s second tier.
|
Ederson vs Trafford comparison – 24/25 league stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Ederson |
Trafford |
|
Goals against |
1.22 |
0.27 |
|
Shots on target against |
3.61 |
2.24 |
|
Save percentage |
69.2% |
87.8% |
|
Clean sheets |
0.28 |
0.73 |
|
Clean sheet percentage |
27.8% |
72.7% |
|
Save percentage (penalties) |
N/A |
100% |
|
Passes attempted |
34.5 |
34.5 |
|
Passes completed (launched) |
3.22 |
3.39 |
|
Pass completion |
86.6% |
73.6% |
|
Crosses stopped |
0.50 |
0.52 |
Tipped to potentially join the likes of Palmer in Tuchel’s England set-up, the former City academy graduate – who joined the Clarets on a £15m deal in 2023 – has been integral to Scott Parker’s promotion-chasing side this season.
The 6 foot 6 stopper has racked up a ridiculous haul of 12 successive clean sheets in the Championship, while conceding just nine times in total in the division in 2024/25.
Such form has led to notable praise from his manager, with Parker stating back in January:
“For sure, this is a boy with absolutely humongous potential. But I still think there is so much more to come from him. I’ve seen a real development in him this season and there is no better goalkeeper in and around this division.”
Also tipped to be “world-class” by ex-teammate, Palmer, Trafford was memorably the hero at the U21 European Championship in 2023, having saved a 96th minute penalty to steer the Young Lions to victory.
Of course, the Burnley ace did endure a difficult season last term in the top-flight, after conceding 62 goals in just 28 outings, yet his form this time around has not gone unnoticed, with Newcastle United seemingly showing serious interest.
Amid those links with the Magpies, the belief is that Trafford is worth around £30m, thus marking a 100% increase in relation to his £15m fee from almost two years ago.
If recent signs are anything to go by, that valuation will soar even higher, with City left to regret not holding on to yet another big English talent would could well have walked into the current starting lineup.
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