Ederson has brought an end to his trophy-laden eight years at Manchester City by agreeing a move to Fenerbahçe.
The Turkish outfit recently parted ways with manager José Mourinho but still managed to convince Ederson to arrive at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium despite long-standing links with Galatasaray.
Gala have been on the hunt for a new keeper since this summer’s departure of club icon Fernando Muslera. The reigning Turkish champions submitted a bid worth €10 million (£8.6 million, $11.7 million) in August and were thought to be in negotiations with City ahead of what many expected to be Ederson’s impending arrival.
However, a late surge from Fenerbahçe saw them win the race for the Brazilian’s signature in a deal valued at €13 million.
“I leave Manchester City incredibly proud of what we have achieved together, and I am honoured to have worn the shirt so many times,” he told club media.
“Under Pep, we have won dominated the Premier League and conquered Europe. It has been amazing.”
He continued: “I arrived in Manchester eight years ago full of hope, but I could not have predicted such a beautiful time together.
“Playing for City has been the most special time of my life and I will always be a fan of this special club. I’m going with my wife and children, but I’m leaving a big family here, Cityzens. Once a Blue, always a Blue.”
Ederson joined City from Benfica in 2017 for a hefty sum of €40 million. Pep Guardiola had already discarded club icon Joe Hart and quickly lost faith in Claudio Bravo following a purely holographic attempt at shot-stopping—the former Barcelona goalkeeper infamously conceded six successive shots on target in January 2017.
City’s pricey new recruit was worth every penny as he brought the passing proficiency Guardiola craved as well as a strong set of wrists. With Ederson prowling between the posts, City won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups, the UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup and 2023 Champions League crown.
There had been some signs of age catching up to the 32-year-old. Ederson missed a career-high 10 games with four different injuries last season and was left out of City’s first three matches of the current campaign for summer recruit James Trafford.
Ultimately, it proved to be an agreement for Gianluigi Donnarumma’s Etihad arrival which has persuaded Ederson to seek out pastures new.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Most Special Time’—Ederson Completes Emotional Man City Exit.