The hero of the US draw with France this summer and widely regarded as the best of the US young goalkeeper prospects, Zack Steffen is set to move to Manchester City, as first reported by The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio.
Kartik Krishnaiyer
As first reported by The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio, 23 year-old Zack Steffen appears headed for Manchester City. If the transfer were completed, Steffen would be the fourth MLS player to move to the Blues in the last two years. The previous three are all on loan currently.
Steffen is unlikely to get a work permit straight away. He’s not played a competitive match yet for the United States but presumably will this coming summer in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. This means that Steffen will be loaned out – I’m advised by sources with Manchester City the two most likely destinations are Girona, in Spain’s La Liga, or NAC Breda in the Eredivisie. Arijanet Muric, the current number two keeper at City, began the season on loan at NAC but was recalled following an injury to Claudio Bravo.
What is the benefit to Steffen’s move to a club that serves as a virtual player agency?
We’ve seen Matt Miazga struggle with his Chelsea situation – the initial loan, to Vitesse, an affiliate club in Holland, worked out well, but the gains with his development in Holland were minimal. His current loan at Nantes, in a stronger league, have seen him struggling for playing time.
Mix Diskerud and Erik Palmer-Brown have signed with Manchester City, though there was never any serious intent with either of integrating them in the first team squad. Palmer-Brown has played five matches this season for NAC, and still could develop into a serviceable European-level player. That said, he is unlikely to ever feature for Manchester City.
Former NYCFC midfielder Jack Harrison, who signed with Manchester City after the 2017 MLS season, is currently on loan at Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United. Harrison is a player that is unlikely to ever feature for the Blues first team but is still being treated as a potential long-term development project. Multiple sources close to TYAC have indicated City remain bullish on Harrison’s long-term ability to become a marketable squad player in Europe.
Steffen’s long-term development is likely to be treated very carefully by the club. Pep Guardiola- I have been told by sources close to the club- wants multiple young keeper options to work with over the course of the next few years following the summer sale of Angus Gunn to Southampton. The signing of Steffen is part of this project.
Ederson, Manchester City’s starting keeper, is just two years older than Steffen, but the club has already learned the value of having multiple keepers who can play the City way due to injuries, suspensions and other considerations. Steffen is likely to be in the club’s longer-term thinking if he can best one rival – Arijanet Muric. The early chatter that Steffen will not ever be a factor at City was quickly dismissed by our sources.
Muric, the other long-term young option for Guardiola- has the advantage of having an EU passport and (for now) and not needing a UK work permit. But my understanding is that he’s seen as behind how the club perceives Steffen in terms of footwork and as a shot-stopper.
Muric began the season on loan at NAC but was recalled following an injury to Claudio Bravo.
The bottom line is whether Steffen ever plays for Manchester City’s first team or not, his development in the most critical years for a keeper will be overseen by a technical staff with a much higher pedigree than anyone currently in the United States.
Like Tim Howard did with his career, after Manchester United, Steffen can use his time in the Manchester City system to parlay a move to another high-end Premier League club should he never gain the number one shirt with the Blues. Given his substantial talents, this is undoubtedly a positive move for Steffen at a club very willing to give him both the infrastructure and the opportunity to become a factor with the first team at the position.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSWPpav6yDo
Where does Steffen need to improve?
Steffen has proven an adept shot-stopper as demonstrated in US friendlies (France, above video) and critical moments for the Columbus Crew. Steffen’s penalty shootout heroics against Atlanta United in the 2017 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs propelled him into the conversation as the US keeper of the future. The timing was exquisite as it came weeks after the US Men’s National Team crashed out of qualifying.
The US friendlies that followed solidified Steffen’s position as the US number one, at least over the summer.
But what has become obvious again with Brad Guzan’s regular games and work under Tata Martino at Atlanta United is that Steffen’s shot-stopping isn’t consistently better than Guzan, and his positioning sense, control of his area and footwork are some ways behind that of the veteran keeper.
A move to Manchester City will allow Steffen to develop into an elite keeper with his feet at a young age as well as improve his sense of timing and positioning. Even preseason’s with Manchester City will prove valuable to getting the keeper to an elite level.
Steffen’s best years are well ahead, but his most important formative years are right in front of him. A move to Manchester City will give the youngster all the tools to be a successful long-term number one for the USMNT, whether or not it means he ever becomes Manchester City’s number one or not.
The author of multiple books about the beautiful game, including a book about Manchester City Football Club, Kartik Krishnaiyer is the host of The Yanks Are Coming podcast. He is a longtime American soccer journalist and board member of the North American Soccer Reporters. Follow him on Twitter @kkfla737.