Manchester City are close to competing the signing of Benfica goalkeeper Ederson Moraes for £33m.
The 23-year-old broke into the Benfica team in March last year and has played 37 games for the Portuguese champions.
After Sunday’s 2-1 Portuguese Cup final win over Vitoria Guimaraes, Moraes said it was “probably” his final appearance.
The Brazil under-23 cap is yet to make his full debut, but is in the squad for the upcoming friendlies against Argentina and Australia.
City manager Pep Guardiola has been interested in Moraes for some time and made room in his squad by releasing Willy Caballero on Friday.
The news comes the day after City’s England goalkeeper Joe Hart confirmed he would be leaving Torino after a season-long loan.
Ederson’s arrival will place more pressure on Claudio Bravo, who has had a torrid time after arriving from Barcelona to take over from Hart as City’s number one.
Guardiola made his first move of the summer with the £43m signing of Monaco’s Portuguese playmaker Bernardo Silva on Friday.
And he is also understood to be interested in Monaco and France full-back Benjamin Mendy, 22.
Ederson is a very different kind of keeper to Claudio Bravo in that he is bigger, much more physically imposing, and much younger.
He has ability with his feet and has a howitzer of a big kick, which paradoxically could help City play out from defence by forcing the opposing press back a bit. He looks confident on the ball, but how he copes with that style will be very important to how he does at the club.
There seems to be a bit of the Manuel Neuer in him. He’s big and commanding; there’s that chest of steel when he comes off his line very quickly. He looks a very promising goalkeeper indeed, but I’m not sure what his English is like, so communication could be a problem.
BBCSports
