Among the usual high-profile arrivals at Manchester City this summer, one you may have missed was Zach Steffen.
The 24-year-old goalkeeper arrived in a £7m deal from Columbus Crew but was immediately sent out on loan to Fortuna Düsseldorf for the season.
He has since featured in their first two games of the season, helping his side to wins over FC 08 Villingen in the DFB Cup and then a 3-1 win over Werder Bremen on the opening day of the Bundesliga season.
His performances have impressed his new employers, with CEO Thomas Röttgermann confirming they will push to make his move a permanent one, despite the fact they don’t have a purchase option included in his move.
“Unfortunately, we were unable to agree on a purchase option with Manchester City,” he told Welt.de.
“That does not necessarily mean that we lose Zack Steffen at the end of the season. Since you should not underestimate our tenacity.
“Of course, we noticed that he is an exceptionally good goalkeeper. That also shows that Manchester has taken him for a lot of money under contract.”
Whether they will find Manchester City as accommodating hosts to any bid for Steffen remains to be seen.
They must have plans for the American otherwise they wouldn’t have paid £7m for a 24-year-old, nor would they have avoided a purchase option being included in his loan deal either.
With Claudio Bravo reportedly set to leave at some point, perhaps they’re looking at Steffen as a long-term number two down the line, and if that’s the case, they’re unlikely to be willing to negotiate with Düsseldorf next summer.
