Man City trigger deal to extend goalkeeper contract leaving Hugo Viana 'delighted'

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Manchester City have triggered a deal in the contract of Marcus Bettinelli to keep the goalkeeper at the club for the 2026/27 season.

Marcus Bettinelli will stay at Manchester City next season after the club triggered an extension to his contract. The goalkeeper signed for the club last summer to replace Scott Carson and will remain with the group for at least another year.

The 33-year-old, who joined from Chelsea for a nominal fee, has seen major change in the City goalkeeping department for the short time he has been at the Etihad. Ederson and Stefan Ortega were the two goalkeepers ahead of him when he signed, but by the end of the summer transfer window they had been replaced by Gianluigi Donnarumma and James Trafford; Ortega stayed as fourth choice until January, when he moved to Nottingham Forest on a permanent deal.

Bettinelli has not played any games for City, as is to be expected with a third-choice goalkeeper, but he has been a part of the squad and his efforts have been significant enough for the club to exercise a right in his contract to keep him for another year. The stopper definitely left his mark on Erling Haaland's match ball after the Liverpool game, with an X-rated message in playful tribute to the striker's achievement.

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"Marcus has been a really good signing for us," said sporting director Hugo Viana. "He's a top goalkeeper and a brilliant person. He's brought ideas and energy to our goalkeeping department and we are delighted he is staying for longer. It's vital for any top club to have a thriving goalkeeping department and Marcus is a big part of ours."

Bettinelli said: "It's a great feeling knowing I'll be at Manchester City for another season. It's a real privilege to be here and I'm learning so much every day. The staff have been superb - I have felt supported since day one. My job is to be the best I can be, push our goalkeepers and ensure that, as a group, we are improving. I think we are definitely doing that."

Donnarumma was signed to be the long-term No.1 at the club but City could find themselves needing another new goalkeeper in the summer with Trafford expected to generate plenty of interest. Trafford has shown in the domestic cup competitions that he can be a No.1 at a top club and has ambitions to play every week and push to be the starting goalkeeper for England.