by Pep Guardiola is happy to have Ederson in goal after fearing the Brazilian could leave Manchester City in the summer.
Clubs in Saudi Arabia approached City’s number one but no offers were received that matched the champions’ assessment of the player.
Ederson, whose titles with City include six Premier League wins and a Champions League triumph, proved his lasting value with a fine performance in Saturday’s hard-fought win over Fulham.
The 31-year-old made numerous important saves, including two from Adama Traore in one-on-one situations, as City won 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium.
Asked if he was worried about losing Ederson, City manager Guardiola replied: “Yes, of course. He is an important figure in our team.
“In the end, of course, it didn’t happen. We are lucky to have him. Hopefully he’s happy.
“He knew from day one that I didn’t want it, we didn’t want it.
“The truth is that the offer didn’t come – the real offer, because they made an offer, but for the goalkeeper of the team that won four Premier League titles in a row, they have a value, a price.” Otherwise he can’t go.
“If the offer had come, he might not be here. That’s the truth.
“Ederson is so strong. It may be an idea (to leave), but if they change their mind after that, in a second they say, ‘Okay, I’m here, I’ll do my best’.”
Ederson joined City from Benfica in the summer of 2017 and immediately solved a problem that had plagued Guardiola during his first season at the club.
With England international Joe Hart not suiting his style of play, Guardiola brought in Claudio Bravo, but the Chilean failed to impress.
The City boss believes the goalkeeping resources are now stronger and should Ederson decide to move on he has an ideal replacement in Stefan Ortega.
Guardiola said: “I can’t imagine the success we’ve had without Eddie. He really made incredible saves.
“But we would have moved on. I think Stefan is one of the best players I’ve ever seen in one-on-one situations. It’s kind of hard to decide.
“I always had the feeling that Stefan was an exceptional player.
“Ederson is an important player but he needs to feel like he needs to perform well.
“That healthy competition that they have — they respect (each other) and they have an incredible relationship — makes our team better.”
