Roland Cutinho
Chelsea are considering a summer swoop for Manchester United target Diogo Costa
According to The Sun Live, Chelsea are considering pursuing Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa, which has dealt Manchester United a major blow in their own efforts to strengthen their goalkeeping position.
The Blues are expected to seek a new first-choice goalkeeper following the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach.
The Argentine manager is inclined to retain Kepa Arrizabalaga as Chelsea’s primary goalkeeper. The Spaniard’s strong bond with goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez has helped him in this case.
However, due to Edouard Mendy’s move to Saudi club Al-Ahli, Chelsea will soon need to enter the transfer market to find a new goalkeeper. Instead of relying on Marcus Bettinelli or young prospect Gabriel Slonina, the preference is to acquire an experienced replacement.
While there is still some interest in Inter Milan’s Andre Onana, it seems that Chelsea’s management may be considering an alternative approach.
Recent reports suggest that the club is keen on acquiring Man United target Costa before the upcoming season. However, any potential deal would not come cheap for the West Londoners since they would have to shell out €75 million (£65 million) to secure his services.
In order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, the Blues could propose an offer that is spread across a number of instalments. Their recent player sales will also help them present a lucrative deal.
However, this recent development will not be taken positively by the United fans since they have witnessed rumours of United making a move for Costa in the past.
Man United are struggling with issues of their own as their goalkeeping department still lacks a clear picture. David de Gea’s contract expiration means that the club will be looking for a new keeper to guard their nets next season.
As things stand, the Red Devils are focused on signing Inter Milan’s Onana. As per The Athletic (subscription required), the Serie A giants are awaiting an official offer for the Cameroonian honcho in the upcoming days.
Hence, we believe that the club would not be affected by the recent Costa rumours. However, we simply can’t ignore the fact that the deal for Onana is still not done. The former Ajax Amsterdam keeper’s asking price is much lower compared to that of the Portuguese keeper, but it still remains to be seen whether United meet Milan’s asking price.
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However, if United fail to land the African ace, then it would be a rather difficult situation, as they have already fallen behind in the race to sign Porto star Costa. The club has limited funds at its disposal, and it would be wise to spend on a player who is available in a lower price range.
Costa doesn’t meet this criterion due to his astronomical price tag. We believe that Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow could be an alternative option for the Red Devils if they fail to land either of their top targets.
