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NEW DEAL FOR ORTEGA IS FIRST MOVE BY CITY TO STRENGTHEN SQUAD FOR NEXT SEASON

- SIMON BAJKOWSKI

MANCHESTER City have taken the first steps to strengthen their squad for next season after Stefan Ortega signed a new contract.

There remains Saudi interest in Ederson though as well as Kevin De Bruyne, who actively welcomed it last week as he spoke about how he has to be open to everything in his situation. There was also comment from City chairman Khaldoon AI Mubarak last week, warning that clubs would not be able to do as much in the window as they normally would due to financial restrictions imposed by the Premier League.

As Pep Guardiola takes a welldeserved holiday, Txiki Begiristain and the recruitment team are hard at work to try to ensure the Blues are in a position to challenge for a fifth successive Premier League title.

Here is how the window is shaping up:

Goalkeepers

Not normally an area of interest but things really livened up with news that Ortega could stay and that Ederson could leave. Come in, Scott Carson? In reality, it still feels more likely that Ederson stays given Pep Guardiola has confirmed that he remains No.1. That news was hammered at the weekend by comments home Begiristain's Ortega being a No.2. about It is good news for the club that they have tied the German down to another short contract extension, although the framing of that has made clear that the place in the team is still Ederson's to lose.

City still need to have a goalkeeper lined up to sign, to protect themselves against losing a player that they have complete faith in, but the Ortega news should calm the situation down.

Defenders

City will get £20m from Southampton given a clause in Taylor Harwood-Bellis' loan deal was activated when they earned promotion to the Premier League.