Winners and winners from Gavin Bazunu's Man City to Southampton transfer
Ronan Murphy
- 17 Jun 2022 10:15 CDT
- 4 min read
Manchester City's sale of Gavin Bazunu to Southampton had to include one key item: a buy-back clause.
City were not prepared to miss out again on letting a future star leave without the chance of getting him back, having watched Jadon Sancho return to Manchester last summer to join bitter rivals United.
Instead of spending £100 million on Jack Grealish last summer, City could have brought Sancho back for much cheaper had they inserted a buy-back clause into the deal when they sold him to Borussia Dortmund.
Sancho was never going to get many opportunities at the Etihad Stadium back in 2017 and never would have developed into the player he became as a result, but Dortmund got all the financial rewards due to a lack of foresight on City's part.
Similarly, Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Bazunu knew he would never fully develop being an understudy to 28-year-old Ederson and turned down a £45,000-per-week extension to get a move out of the club.
Despite having never played higher than League One at club level, Bazunu is now a £12m signing (£15m after add-ons) for Southampton and will likely prove a bargain at that fee.
The best young goalkeeper in the world
The 20-year-old is one of the world's best young goalkeepers and has impressed almost every time he has played. He was named Portsmouth player of the season last season, and Pompey boss Danny Cowley hailed him as "a top goalkeeper. He’s the best I’ve ever worked with."
With Liverpool backup Caoimhin Kelleher picking up caps for Ireland due to Bazunu's minor injury during the international break and Mark Travers helping Bournemouth win promotion back to the Premier League, the new Saints stopper knew that being a No. 2 at Man City would not cut it if he wanted to add to his 10 Ireland caps.
Regardless of the result, a moment Gavin will never forget 🙌
Super keeper Gavin Bazunu 🧤#COYBIG | #WeAreOne | #PORIRL pic.twitter.com/GoabxI6VzO— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) September 3, 2021
Having made his international debut as a teenager - a rarity for a goalkeeper - Bazunu made headlines for his assured performances for the Boys in Green, even stopping a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty in World Cup qualifying.
It's those performances for Ireland rather than loan spells at Rochdale and Portsmouth which justify both the hype and the transfer fee. Kelleher has Champions League experience, but when everyone is fit, Bazunu is still ahead of him in the pecking order for Ireland, both for his ball-playing ability and his shot-stopping.
Bazunu is the perfect modern goalkeeper, having even been used as the extra man in midfield in training sessions for Shamrock Rovers before making his League of Ireland debut at just 16-years-old.
He played just four league games for Shamrock Rovers before Man City came calling, keeping clean sheets in all four and even saving a penalty against Cork City to announce himself on the Irish football scene.
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Bazunu has the potential to be one of the world's best goalkeepers and it's no surprise that City insisted on that buy-back clause in the transfer negotiations.
As well as that, they have also put in a sell-on clause, ensuring that even if Bazunu does not return to the Etihad Stadium as Ederson's successor, then they will continue to profit.
In the meantime, Bazunu's career will continue to flourish at Southampton, where he will undoubtedly unseat Alex McCarthy as the club's first choice and become a household name outside of Ireland - and Madeira.
