Pep Guardiola will move from Ederson to Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal for Manchester City and it could require a tactical shift in the process.
Gianluigi Donnarumma could make his Manchester City debut on Sunday
Pep Guardiola won’t ask new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to play out from the back if he isn’t comfortable doing so, and said Manchester City signed the Italian because he has different qualities to Ederson.
City added the Italian No. 1 for £26million from Paris St-Germain on deadline day, with Ederson leaving to join Fenerbahce after eight years at the Etihad, and the move from one goalkeeper to the other could necessitate a significant stylistic change.
Ederson was exceptional with the ball at his feet and his style allowed City to play a high line and stretch the pitch, as well as building from the back with a goalkeeper comfortable in receiving the ball in tight situations.
Donnarumma, 26, is a different style of goalkeeper, one renowned for producing exceptional saves but with question marks over the ball at his feet, which is why he has been jettisoned by Luis Enrique at PSG.
“Always I try to adapt the quality of the players. I would not demand to Gigi to do something he’s uncomfortable with,” said Guardiola.
“We are talking about one the best players I have seen in distribution, in short and long, I have seen with Ederson. We didn’t take Gigi to do what Ederson has done. Gigi has another quality.
“You’re talking about the wingers that we had in the past, for example, Riyad, Raheem or Leroy, it’s completely different than the wingers that we have now.”
Donnarumma is an imposing goalkeeper and he was outstanding in PSG’s Champions League success last season, and Guardiola is confident those skills will still be vital at the Etihad.
“He’s so tall. He’s so huge. All the keepers we want is to save balls and give us confidence to the team and personality, a big presence and the biggest stages,” he said.
“The Champions League he has done last season in Villa Park, in Anfield and many games prove how good he is. He’s going to concede goals. That’s for sure, he’s going to concede goals. All of us are going to try to hold in that it won’t happen.”
Guardiola paid tribute to Ederson in his press conference ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby, praising the impact the 32-year-old Brazilian had on City’s game.
He also revealed that the goalkeeper had been open to a move away from the Etihad for the previous couple of years.
“At the end, it’s kind of the player’s decision, decisions have been made for the players, decisions have been made for the club, and I’m part of the club,” said Guardiola.
“So it was two years he was thinking, okay I’ve done everything, I won the Champions League, I won the Premier League and the other one, for my family as well, to make an experience. It happened, it happened this summer, this moment.
“The market gave us a chance to take Gigi, a 26-year-old, incredible experience with the big clubs, with the national team from Italy.”
Guardiola met Donnarumma as a City player for the first time earlier this week and although he refused to say the new man would start against Manchester United on Sunday, he is happy with what’s he seen and heard so far.
“I met him Wednesday, it was day off, but we had a good chat,” said Guardiola. “Thursday was training and I take a day off, stay in my office yesterday. So I didn’t take training, so I didn’t see him, but the comments are pretty good.”
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