Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has slammed claims that he was 'affected' by praise for teammate Stefan Ortega.
The Brazil international has been a crucial part of Pep Guardiola's squad since his arrival from Benfica in the summer of 2017.
Ederson has made 332 competitive appearances during his time with the Citizens, helping the club win six Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, two FA Cups, a Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and a Club World Cup.
While he remains Man City's first-choice goalkeeper, Ederson has seen his future become the subject of much speculation in recent weeks.
There has been a suggestion that the 30-year-old is ready to try a fresh challenge amid interest from the Saudi Pro League.
A recent report by The Athletic claimed that one of the reasons why Ederson is open to a departure is because he was 'affected' by praise offered to Ortega for his heroics in the penultimate match of the Premier League season.
The German made a crucial one-on-one save to deny Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min when Man City were leading by a narrow 1-0 scoreline.
© Reuters
Ederson slams "completely false" claims
Ederson had been forced off earlier in the match after receiving a blow to the head, forcing Guardiola to summon Ortega from the bench in the crucial fixture, with the German going on to make the title-defining stop.
Man City's number-one goalkeeper has now taken to social media to hit out at the claims that he was unhappy with the praise directed towards his understudy.
In a post on Instagram, Ederson wrote: "I would like to clarify that the note published by The Athletic yesterday, referring to my alleged dissatisfaction with a co-worker, is completely false.
"The alleged day reported was, without a doubt, one of the most difficult days of my career, when I suffered a fracture that prevented me from playing in the final stretch of the season and, consequently, from representing my country in the Copa America.
"'At the time of the injury, my only thought was to continue in the match, defending City in the fight for the title we had won, but the emotion of the match would be greater than the reality and, inevitably, I would not be able to continue as I would have liked due to the damage it caused, completely blocking my field of vision. I remain focused on preparing for the season."
© Imago
Who could sign Ederson this summer?
There seems to be a real possibility that Ederson could depart this summer despite the fact that he has two years left on his contract.
However, a departure is not a foregone conclusion, with Man City demanding around £50m to part ways with the goalkeeper.
Man City's asking price has seemingly deterred Al-Nassr from pursuing a deal, but there is still a chance that Ederson could complete a move to the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Nassr's domestic rivals Al-Ittihad are believed to be weighing up a potential move for the Brazilian shot-stopper.
If Ederson were to depart, Man City will likely promote Ortega to the number-one position, having been impressed by his performances since his arrival from Arminia Bielefeld in the summer of 2022.
