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Diogo Costa hopes to continue at Porto amidst links with Newcastle United and Manchester United
Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa hopes to continue playing for his current club despite interest from Manchester United.
It was revealed that United are leading the race to sign the Portugal international as they aim to displace David de Gea from the number-one spot. Chelsea and Newcastle United were also in the race to sign him.
Costa (23), whose contract with Porto lasts until the summer of 2027 (Transfermarkt), has grown up the ranks there before making his senior debut.
Here’s what the 23-year-old said when asked about the links with United (h/t Evening Standard):
“That’s the internet. It is a happiness and an honour to play for my favourite club. What they say is what they say, there is nothing concrete, I have a contract until 2027 and I hope to continue, let’s see.”
While the quote suggests that the player is hopeful of playing at Porto in the future, he does not close the door for a potential move.
Costa is an ideal modern-day goalkeeper who could be perfect for the way Erik ten Hag likes his keepers to play. He is comfortable on the ball with or without pressure, is a decent shot-stopper and does command his area very well.
With regards to de Gea, although he has been a great shot-stopper (something he has dropped standards on recently), his comfort level when asked to play out from the back is very low. Hence he was the best keeper at the club under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho (managers who do not rely on their keepers to do accurate passing).
If Ten Hag wants his system to succeed from back to front, he must take the difficult decision of letting de Gea go and sign a new keeper, be it Costa or someone else.
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With how sophisticated football is with the involvement of keepers in the build-up, even small mistakes can lead to big blunders in the crunch part of the season. As for Costa, let’s hope his comments were diplomatic – and that a summer move is still on the cards.
