According to Portuguese daily A Bola, Manchester United remain interested in signing Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa despite him signing a new long-term contract.
United currently have David de Gea as their first-choice goalkeeper and he has started every game but one this season. The Spaniard made the worst possible start to the campaign with error-prone displays against Brighton and Brentford but has been able to recapture his form from last season.
This has, however, not stopped speculation over his future. His £375,000-a-week contract concludes in June next year and United have yet to trigger the 12-month option available. The Athletic report that he could sign a new deal with a pay-cut but United are persisting to monitor Costa.
A Bola claim that United and Barcelona are not deterred by Costa’s recent renewal at Porto which has increased his release clause from £52.5 million to £66 million. The European giants could be set to battle it out for his signature during the 2023 summer transfer window.
Big decision
De Gea has been a constant presence in goal for United since 2011. His future was regularly questioned between 2018 and 2020 amid high-profile errors but he has redeemed himself. United manager Erik ten Hag has personally praised the 31-year-old for his improved distribution.
The club now have a big decision to make on whether to prolong De Gea’s decade-long stay or consider a new shot-stopper to replace him. The possibility of doing both is out of the cards as United would not want to spend big on Costa and continue paying around £200,000 weekly to De Gea.
Costa would be a solid upgrade with better reflexes and distribution skills. He has also become a penalty expert and recently saved three Champions League penalties on the trot. De Gea may not offer the same assurance in goal as Costa but his form over recent weeks deserves some recognition.
United must decide one way or the other. Costa won’t be easy to sign with Barcelona offering heavy competition. The Catalan club seem to be preparing for a change of personnel in goal. Marc-Andre ter Stegen should head out this summer if they land the services of Porto’s Costa.
