Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola made a fatal mistake in his press conference for the opening match of the Premier League season against Wolverhampton, confirming that two of his team’s stars were on the verge of leaving the Etihad Stadium.
Last week, there were reports that City were interested in signing goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma if Ederson were to leave. Tottenham also made an official offer for winger Savinho, a move reportedly welcomed by the player himself.
At the opening press conference for the Wolverhampton match, Guardiola was asked about his team’s absentees due to injury, and he only mentioned the name of center-back Josko Gvardiol.
Halfway through the press conference, a reporter asked about Ederson and Savinho, and Guardiola hesitated a great deal before responding by saying they were both injured. Neither the club nor he had announced this until minutes beforehand.
This lapse was seen as confirmation from Guardiola that the Brazilian duo would leave City, and that it was only a matter of time before the matter was resolved, once an agreement was reached with the interested clubs.
In the press conference, Guardiola also hinted at City’s anger at Tottenham, saying that if Spurs wanted to sign Savinho, they would first have to contact his club, suggesting that the London club made a mistake by negotiating with the Brazilian before obtaining City’s permission.
It’s worth noting that Ederson has an offer from Turkish side Galatasaray, and German goalkeeper Stefan Ortega is also expected to leave, leaving Donnarumma and James Trafford as Guardiola’s two goalkeepers next season.
