According to A Bola (via SportWitness), Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa has aroused interest from Manchester United ahead of the summer transfer window.
The 23-year-old has been in superb form for Porto this season and he has already kept 10 clean sheets in the Portuguese top-flight. United have been linked with him many times and A Bola claim that they are keen on signing him this summer.
The report adds that Erik ten Hag’s side will need to trigger the £67 million buy-out clause in the goalkeeper’s contract as Porto president Pinto da Costa won’t accept anything less for him.
Quality
United have had David de Gea as their first-choice goalkeeper for 12 years but manager Erik ten Hag could be looking for a successor. The Spaniard’s deal with United expires in June and the club have decided against activating the 12-month option for the time being.
The Red Devils reportedly prefer to hand him a new contract with a salary cut but an exit cannot be ruled out. If United are serious about signing Costa from Porto, this could spell the end of De Gea, who would not want to spend the back end of his career as a deputy.
Costa has been fantastic for Porto this season. He made three stellar penalty saves in the Champions League group phase and went on to play as the number one for Portugal at the World Cup. His performances were unconvincing but he continues to be rated highly by top European teams.
He would be a superb purchase for United this summer but they will have a battle on their hands to land his signature with Premier League rivals Chelsea also in the hunt. The London giants have been spending for fun since their takeover by Clearlake Capital Group.
Chelsea have had no qualms over paying huge transfer fees and United may not stand a chance of signing Costa if they hesitate over the release clause. The Premier League duo appear as the most likely destinations for the Portuguese star in the summer transfer window.
