According to reports, Ederson is leaving Manchester City to join Fenerbahçe. This news came from British newspaper The Guardian and has already troubled the European soccer market in these final days of the transfer season. Fenerbahçe just needs City to sign Donnarumma, who was formerly at PSG, to make the announcement of the Brazilian.
The deal is not negotiable and has a deadline. In England, the window closes this Monday. In Turkey, there is until September 11 to sign players. That leaves City with a deadline job to finalize the paperwork on the Italian goalkeeper and then release Ederson. This is not just a swap of two headline players. It is also the end of a golden era in Manchester and the introduction of new battles to Europe.
The deal and its backdrop
The transfer is worth around €14 million, less than half of what City paid for him in 2017 from Benfica for €35 million. It is a vast difference, but then it also shows the times. Ederson is 32 years old and has largely won everything in the sky-blue shirt: Premier League titles, domestic cups, the Club World Cup and even the Champions League. Still, City believes the position needs an upgrade, and Donnarumma appears the perfect upgrade. For Turkey, acquiring a goalkeeper of this caliber is seen as a statement. Fenerbahçe, constantly living in the glare of intense local competition, is making a statement that it wants to return to the stage as a force among Europe's most relevant clubs. That's why this signing extends infinitely farther than a standard signature.
The choice of Turkey and what lies ahead
Seven years after he came to Manchester City, Ederson leaves as a proven winner. Nobody dismisses the role he played in the club's golden years. He was the regular starter in all the greatest wins and earned respect in England as well as globally. His leaving does not mean a decline in quality, but rather a change of direction. At 32, he is still capable of playing on a high level.
For Fenerbahçe, the fact that they can beat the rivals and get this far in completing the deal on Ederson is evidence of just how desperate the club is to be back at the top. Galatasaray had expressed interest late last season as well, but the transfer now seems set to be on the yellow and blue half of Istanbul. That alone is sufficient to raise embers on one of soccer's more fiery rivalries.