Manchester City reportedly have a 'verbal agreement' in place to sign goalkeeper Stefan Ortega as a free agent, if Zack Steffen leaves the club this summer.
Ortega, 29, is set to leave German club Arminia Bielefeld – who have been relegated from the Bundesliga – when his contract expires at the end of the month.
According to Kicker, Ortega is on the verge of completing a move to Man City and will become the club's number two goalkeeper behind Ederson, with German journalist Dirk Schlarmann adding that the deal could be finalised by the end of the week.
However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims that the deal will depend on whether City's current number two Zack Steffen departs the Etihad Stadium on either a temporary or permanent deal.
Steffen, 27, has made only 21 appearances for the Premier League champions since arriving from Columbus Crew in 2019, and while he accepts his current position behind Ederson, it remains to be seen whether the USA international would be open to a move elsewhere for regular first-team football.
Ortega, meanwhile, has made a total of 220 appearances in all competitions for Arminia Bielefeld across two spells with the club, including 33 Bundesliga starts between the sticks last season.
The German could become Pep Guardiola's second signing of the summer after the arrival of Erling Braut Haaland from Borussia Dortmund earlier this month.
Oliver Thomas
