Manchester City s Ederson is also going to Saudi Arabia to make gold? The temptation of an annual salary of tens of millions of euros

According to the exclusive disclosure of the British media "CaughtOffside", the two giants in the Saudi League, Jeddah United and Jeddah Nationals, have provided Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson with a total salary of up to 25 million euros (approximately 12.5 million euros after tax), trying to leverage the transfer of the Brazilian goalkeeper this summer. This offer far exceeds the salary affordability of European teams, and may force clubs such as Naples and Galatasaray, which were previously interested in Ederson, to withdraw from the competition.

⚽ The key contradiction in the three-party game

Player's wishes: Ederson's attitude of leaving the team is clear. In addition to economic factors, the deeper reason lies in the "status crisis" at the end of last season - substitute goalkeeper Ortega saved Son Heung-min's single shot when he played against Tottenham in the Premier League, and was hailed by fans as the "champion savior". Some public opinion even believed that if Ederson "this ball will be lost." Although Guardiola publicly emphasized that "Ederson is the only way to win the Champions League", the players still expressed their ununderstood loss through social media, which accelerated their determination to leave the team.

Saudi Advantage: Jeddah United continues to pursue Ederson since 2024, and this offer is more radical than last year. If the tournament is complete, Ederson will become one of the highest paid goalkeepers in the Saudi league. Although Galatasaray has received the "open attitude" from the players, it is difficult to match Saudi salary and can only provide the Champions League platform as a bargaining chip.

Manchester City's position: The club is open to the sale but refuses to sell at a low price, insisting on the price of 50 million euros (about £42 million). On the one hand, Ederson's contract is only one year away and shows signs of a decline in form (the success rate of saves in the 24/25 season fell to 68%); on the other hand, the team has prepared for the future to inspect Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa and promoted 19-year-old star Trafford as a long-term reserve.

⏳ Decision-making dilemma under time pressure

Manchester City must clarify whether Ederson will stay or stay before the end of July: if it is released, a new goalkeeper (such as Porto's Diogo Costa) needs to be introduced urgently; if it is forced to stay, it is at the risk of free departure from the team after the player's contract expires. Ederson himself prefers Saudi Arabia because European teams are unable to meet Manchester City's asking price.

The end of this transfer tug-of-war will become a new footnote to the Saudi Golden Dollar offensive and the traditional European giants' competitive attractive game. Whether Ederson finally chooses a sky-high contract or sticks to Europe, Manchester City needs to find a definite answer to the goal line position before the pre-season preparation is over.