Manchester United have sent a scout to watch FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.
What's the latest on Costa to United?
David De Gea will be out of contract at the end of the season and is facing an uncertain future having not yet put pen to paper on fresh terms, so should he depart in the summer, the 23-year-old has been identified as his potential successor.
The Portugal international’s deal at Porto isn’t set to expire for another four years, but his performances at the 2022 World Cup and at the Estadio do Dragao since returning from Qatar have caught the eye, and not for the first time.
Record report that the Red Devils have been closely monitoring the shot-stopper for over a year, but since Erik Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford, it’s stated that the new manager appreciates his abilities with his feet, so the club have now ramped up their initial interest.
According to A Bola (via Sport Witness), Manchester United “had an official” at FC Porto’s 2-0 victory over Pacos De Ferreira on Saturday night to watch Costa. The 6 foot 2 colossus has emerged as a “clear target” for the top-flight giants and is seen as one of the “obvious options” to replace De Gea in the summer. The Rothrist native’s name is frequently the one being “pushed forward”, and it’s worth noting that he has a €75m (£66m) release clause included in his contract.
Would Costa be a good successor to De Gea?
Costa has been dubbed a “superman” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his consistent high standard of performances between the sticks, and looking at his numbers this season, he would be an outstanding bit of business for United.
The Adidas-sponsored titan has kept a remarkable 70 clean sheets from 182 appearances throughout his career, including 17 in 36 outings across all competitions this term, via Transfermarkt, as he’s made 51 saves from 68 shots on target, giving him a success rate of 76.5%.
The Gestifute client also likes to experiment with his range of passing and is successful in doing so, having completed 121 of 122 short passes and 447 of 453 medium passes since the start of the term, as per FBRef.
Finally, Costa knows what it takes to be successful having secured nine trophies at both club and international level, and has been recognised for his individual impact twice being the recipient of the Goalkeeper of the Season award, so this really is a no-brainer of a deal to complete.
