Manchester United ready to swoop for shock Manchester City star: report

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim greet each other ahead of the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England on 15 December, 2024.
Manchester City and Manchester United are not known for trading players (Image credit: Alamy)

Manchester United are eyeing a shock move for a Manchester City veteran.

Moves between the two city rivals are extremely rare at first-team level, with the latest being Owen Hargreaves, and the most notable in recent years to play for the two clubs being Carlos Tevez.

But there may soon be a new name to add to the list, in a position United are known to want to strengthen.

United in shock exploration of surplus-to-requirements City man

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana kept just 11 clean sheets last season

United appear open to challenging Onana after exploring goalkeeper targets this summer (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Red Devils are known to be in the market for a goalkeeper if the right opportunity arises, especially after an injury saw current first-choice gloveman Andre Onana ruled out of pre-season.

His position was not the strongest in any case after a season that left a lot to be desired, and his deputy Altay Bayindir did not fare much better when called upon, save for an FA Cup triumph against Arsenal.

Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega in action against Luton Town in the FA Cup in February 2024.

Stefan Ortega could be set for a shock move across Manchester (Image credit: Alamy)

In a shock development, FootballTransfers have revealed that United have been in contact with City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to sound him out for a move.

The 32-year-old has now slipped down the pecking order after the Sky Blues brought in James Trafford from Burnley to compete with Ederson.

An official bid has not yet been forthcoming, but fact-finding discussions have been held with the player in case an approach is made.

Ortega, according to the report, is open to hearing United’s pitch but has not yet made a final decision.

James Trafford of Burnley F.C. reacts during the Sky Bet Championship match between Portsmouth FC and Burnley FC at Fratton Park on February 01, 2025 in Portsmouth, England.

Ortega's position at City is now uncertain after their purchase of James Trafford (Image credit: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, this would be a remarkable move, purely on account of players rarely moving between the two sides.

But Ortega, per the same report, is believed to want more game time, and Onana seems unlikely to depart in this window, especially carrying an injury.

So not only would the German shot-stopper take all the heat from City fans in his shuffle across Manchester, he’d also be back where he started, competing with a first-choice goalkeeper for minutes.

Ortega is worth €8m, according to Transfermarkt.

Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.

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