Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder has heralded the capture of Zack Steffen as "a big coup" after the Championship side completed the signing of the Manchester City goalkeeper on Tuesday.
City have agreed to send Steffen to Middlesbrough on loan for the 2022/23 season, following the arrival of free agent Stefan Ortega Moreno to act as back-up to Ederson. The American shot-stopper signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract at City in November, but with a World Cup on the horizon he wanted to play first team football to boost his chances of being selected for his country.
"I think it’s a big coup for us and so I’m delighted we’ve brought Zack in," Wilder said. "We knew we had to improve the goalkeeping department. We brought in Liam Roberts and now we’re adding Zack who has just signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Man City.
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"Man City don’t hand out four-and-a-half-year contracts if they don’t think anything of them.
“Everyone knows his situation, he needed to play because of the World Cup. He had an agreement with Man City, but he could have easily stayed there and sat comfortably as their number two. He wanted to go out and he’s agreed to come here."
Steffen spent the 2019/20 season on loan at German side Fortuna Dusseldorf after the Blues signed him from Columbus Crew, and made 21 appearances over the past two campaigns as Ederson's deputy.
The 27-year-old made a high profile error in last season's FA Cup semi-final defeat to Liverpool, allowing Sadio Mane to tackle him on his own goal-line to put Jurgen Klopp's side 2-0 up.
The chance to play regular football at the Riverside Stadium should allow Steffen to return to City next summer and fight for a place in Pep Guardiola's squad.
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