Bazunu might well be getting a call back to City next season after the goal the City reserve goalkeeper let in yesterday.
He seemed to think he had all the time in the world , but it didn’t turn out that way.
Bazunu might well be getting a call back to City next season after the goal the City reserve goalkeeper let in yesterday.
He seemed to think he had all the time in the world , but it didn’t turn out that way.
Hold my green lensed spectacles for a moment whilst I state that this game doesn't end up with City conceding 3 goals if a certain 20 year old from Firhouse is between the sticks for them. And that is a bad thing. I'm concerned Bazunu is going to play himself into the Kelleher situation.
Steffan for his own career sake should leave permanently, he’s a good premiership standard keeper but he isn’t Man City quality in a month of Sundays. If he was playing for Newcastle, Brighton, Southampton that would make more sense. Bazunu needs and wants game time now to hit his potential so is totally doing the right thing by going on loan but I firmly believe if all 3 were at City next season that Bazunu would be the back up.
I think Man City and Bazunu have a career plan to help him reach the level needed to one day be no.1 at City and don't think they'll mess with that just because Steffen had a bad day at the office.
Sreffen has another 3 years on his deal , they paid a very small fee for him and he is a reasonable back up keeper who has mo where near the ability with his feet to match ederson. If they sold him they would likely make very little profit. It seems logical to keep him as a number 2 and develop bazunu out on loan to either sell him for decent money (20mil) or have him replace Ederson in 4 or 5 years .
The risk with Steffen is that City get to a point like Liverpool did with Adrian where they just don't trust him enough to keep him as number 2 anymore. The danger for them is that Ederson gets injured and they end up having to play Steffen for 10 or 15 games, he's enough of a step down that it could ruin a season for them.
Like most I'd rather see Bazunu out playing rather than being a number 2 at City, but the risk of it happening is higher than I thought after seeing Steffen yesterday, he's really not that good at all.
Being linked with a move to Southampton.
https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/f...return-3682139
Will he start? If so brilliant no?
Always have to take "Transfer gossip" columns with a pinch of salt - I think they're usually more about generating hits than being informative.
Any of the moves cited (Southampton, Sheffield United, Bournemouth and Preston) would be decent on the face of it though, except Bournemouth of course as they already have an Irish keeper.
Southampton used three keepers this year - Alex McCarthy is their first choice I think, but seems very injury prone for a keeper. So even being on the bench there would give first-team chances.
Of the established EPL clubs Southampton are probably weakest in the goalkeeping department. McCarthy isn't great and Forster has never fully nailed down the jersey either.
As long as he's going there as a starter it's a great move, but he'd probably get more guarantees of game time in the Championship.
Hopefully not Bournemouth anyway, it would be very unfair on Travers after the season he has had to have Bazunu parachuted in in front of him having already had that happen to him at international level. Similarly from Bazunu's point of view if he went there without a guarantee of being first choice there's the risk for him that they would stick with Travers as first choice as he's their player and his progression is therefore more valuable to them.
While it has been great seeing the new generation of Irish players emerge it's a bit disappointing that up to now none of them have established themselves as regulars in the Premier League. Connolly probably came closest but couldn't sustain it or maybe just wasn't good enough. Obafemi was given a great chance at Southampton but didn't take it. Smallbone has never really established himself. O'Shea got a run at West Brom but they got relegated. Idah and Omobamidele got injured at the wrong time at Norwich too and they're going down as well. Now finally Collins is emerging but Burnley could yet go down too.
It would make next season a lot more interesting if the likes of Bazunu, Travers and Collins became first team regulars in the Premier League. Maybe Josh Cullen might move back too, or Burnley might go back for Knight having looked at him before. And maybe a bit more game time for Ferguson at Brighton. If Obafemi keeps going the way he is he will get back there before long also, goalscoring strikers are always in demand.
Last edited by Eirambler; 05/05/2022 at 4:37 PM.
[QUOTE=Eirambler;2109464]Of the established EPL clubs Southampton are probably weakest in the goalkeeping department. McCarthy isn't great and Forster has never fully nailed down the jersey either.
Forster has been great for the last few months but is their highest paid player and his contract is up this summer so he'll be leaving, I think McCarthy contract is up as well. However can't see any prem side having a 20 yr old as their starting keeper. My fear is that man city will keep him as no 2 next season and he'll be in a similar position than Kelleher.
We should have a lot of players moving up to the Championship from League One by means of promotion or transfer. And it's a good league and it shows the watermark of our talent pool is going up and up. You have named a lot of guys there who seemed to comfortably be top end Championship players but could also end up in the Premiership. That seems like progress.
If Southampton were to try sign Bazunu on permanent basis it would required a substantial transfer fee. They would only do that if they were buying him as 1st choice keeper.
That said, I don't think it'll happen. Can't see City letting him go. I can see him signing a new contract and going on loan again...maybe to Southampton on loan.
City don't really loan players out to premier league clubs, so if he did go to Southampton, I'd guess it would be on a permanent deal
I don't doubt Bazunu's talent and potential, but it would certainly be a huge leap moving from playing for a mid-table League One team to an established Premier League club such as Southampton.
The Saints have struggled rather in the second half of this season. Even if Bazunu started the campaign as first choice, one or two bad games and he could end up losing his place and watching the rest of the season from the bench. The Cowley brothers have shown great faith and patience with Bazunu, forgiving the occasional mistake and error of judgment that you would expect from any young player. But there is so much money at stake and the level scrutiny so much higher in the Premier League. There's no room for sentiment at that level and we see how clubs panic at the very thought of relegation.
Would a loan to a Championshionship club not be the natural next step in the career progression of a goalkeeper who's only recently turned 20?
De Gea was young when he joined United. He made lots of mistakes early but they stuck with him because of his talent. I fully believe Bazunu could be at that level and I think he could step up to the Premiership immediately
Bookmarks