Man City Opinion: Asier Riesgo’s arrival at the Etihad would allow Muric to go out on loan to Nottingham Forest
According to The Sun, reigning Premier League champions, Man City are lining up a shock swoop for Eibar shot-stopper Asier Riesgo in the summer transfer window, with reports claiming that manager Pep Guardiola is looking for an experienced understudy to undisputed first-choice Ederson Moraes.
Riesgo, who is out of contract this summer, is available for free and The Sun understands that City have identified him as someone who could possibly provide cover for Ederson and Claudio Bravo.
Also, the Citizens are looking to arrange a loan deal for talented youngster Arijanet Muric in order to give him more first-team exposure, with Championship promotion-hopefuls Nottingham Forest interested in securing the services of the 20-year-old Kosovan. (h/t Sun)
Muric, who was initially loaned out to Dutch outfit NAC Breda last summer, had to be recalled due to a long-term injury to No.2 Claudio Bravo. Muric acted as the understudy to Ederson in the Premier League on a regular basis this past season, whilst also featuring prominently in City’s triumphant League Cup campaign.
The talented shot-stopper earned rave reviews for his penalty-shootout heroics in City’s quarter-final victory over Leicester City in the League Cup but reports suggest that Guardiola wants him to gain more first-team experience in the Championship.
Claudio Bravo is expected to be fit right from the start of the upcoming campaign but the Citizens could find themselves back to square one should the veteran Chilean be sidelined once again with injury issues.
Keeping that in mind, bringing in an experienced shot-stopper like Asier Riesgo for free could work wonders for City. Riesgo might be a little-known entity to the fans who do not follow Spanish football but the 35-year-old is regarded as a seasoned campaigner in his homeland, having spent the 18 years as a professional in the La Liga.
Riesgo made a total of 16 appearances for Eibar in all competitions last season, 14 of which came as starts in the La Liga.
A youth product of Real Sociedad, the hugely experienced former Spanish U-21 international made a total of 130 appearances for his boyhood club over the source of 8 seasons, also spending time on loan at fellow La Liga club Recreativo Huelva in the process.
Following a brief stint at Osasuna, Riesgo joined Eibar back in 2015 and has made a total of 69 appearances for the mid-table side in the Spanish top-flight, managing 17 clean sheets in the process. However, with Man City now weighing up a swoop for him, the prospect of a move away from his homeland for the first time in his career might as well appeal to the player.
To put things into perspective, Man City continue to be linked with some of the top players in Europe, as the Citizens look to try and make it a hat-trick of triumphs in the Premier League next season. Riesgo doesn’t need to be a world-beater to arrive at the Etihad because he would only be an understudy to the likes of Bravo and Ederson.
However, the 35-year-old could add a lot of experienced cover in the goalkeeping department for Guardiola, given his exploits in the La Liga over the course of almost two decades.
And snapping him up for free could prove to be a shrewd piece of business for the club, considering that it would open the door for a promising youngster like Muric to leave on loan and further his development in the Championship.
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Even though City have stamped their authority in the Premier League over the past few campaigns, Guardiola is likely to aware of the need to bring in some fresh blood in order to replace ageing stars like Fernandinho and David Silva.
Nevertheless, the acquisition of Asier Riesgo should add much-needed depth in a key area of the pitch for the Citizens.
