Should Zack Steffen leave Manchester City for more game time?

The United States Men's National team firmly believe their goalkeeping position is in the safe hands of Zack Steffen for the foreseeable future.

The Manchester City keeper, who made his debut for the US team in 2018, is the USMNT's current number one ahead of the likes of Sean Johnson, Bill Hamid, Ervan Horvath and the veteran Brad Guzan.

However, with only a handful of appearances for the Premier League side, there remains major concern over his club future with a lack of minutes on the pitch looking likely in the league.
Senior members from the American national team infrastructure think Steffen needs to move on to continue his progression at international level. 

Steffen joined Man City in 2019 from Columbus Crew for £7million. He was sent on loan to Bundesliga side Fortuna Dusseldorf for the 2019/20 season and impressed in 17 matches before injury cut short his campaign.

While a top USA star earning a move to one of the world's biggest clubs is always welcome, there are worries about him disappearing down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium - a situation not too unfamiliar with other fellow US internationals.

USA midfielder Mix Diskerud, for example, is in his third loan away from Man City and there are few signs he will ever turn out for the club.

Manchester City future

Following his spell at Fortuna Dusseldorf, the club's sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel described Steffen as "a modern goalkeeper" who will go on to become a superstar in the game.

However, since his return to the City first-team squad for the 2020/21 season his playing time has been limited to cup matches and just one Premier League game - although this was only as a result of a positive COVID-19 test to Man City's first-choice keeper Ederson.

Man City manager Pep Guardiola wants Steffen to battle for the starting spot but admits he has a tough battle against one of the world's best keepers in soccer.

With Ederson just two years older than the 25-year-old Steffen, the American could spend a lot of his prime playing years struggling for game time, something which could force a permanant move away in the future.

Brad Friedel comparisons

The Ohio-born keeper left Columbus Crew for the bright lights of the Premier League when he joined Liverpool for £1.7million in 1997. But he did not gain the game time he deserved until he left for Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer in 2000.

Friedel refused to settle as a number two and went on to have a glittering career in English top-flight soccer with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. Steffen needs to have the same mind-set too.

What next for Steffen?

There's strong competition for the USA number one jersey in Club Brugge's Ervan Horvath, DC United's Bill Hamid and New York City's Sean Johnson.

There's also outstanding prospects such as Benfica's CJ Dos Santos and Chituru Odunze of Leicester City lurking in the wings.

So despite Steffen becoming number two at Man City, and the future looking bright, many feel he needs to push on with his career at a different club.