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Primeira Liga giants Porto may be forced to sell highly-coveted Manchester United target Diogo Costa due to financial problems at the club.
United’s interest in Costa is a well-known fact, with uncertainties over the future of David de Gea and his suitability to play Erik ten Hag’s preferred brand of football.
There are reservations about De Gea’s distribution, initiation of sweeping action and playing with his feet – all attributes a goalkeeper playing under Ten Hag must possess.
In a detailed review, The Peoples Person conducted a comparative analysis between De Gea and other shot-stoppers high on Ten Hag’s wishlist including Costa and Brentford’s David Raya.
De Gea is currently locked in negotiations with the Red Devils over a new contract albeit on significantly reduced terms.
However, as ESPN’s Rob Dawson revealed yesterday, signing another goalkeeper to compete with the Spaniard is still very much on United’s agenda, hence the links to Costa and Raya.
90min have relayed that there are growing financial constraints at the Estádio do Dragão and to offset these difficulties, selling Costa could be on the cards.
“It had been expected that with mounting interest in Costa from a number of European giants, the Portuguese outfit could hold out for that clause to be triggered before selling – though trouble behind the scenes at Porto may now present an opportunity for interested parties to sign the player at a cheaper price.
“Portuguese sources however indicate that before any signings could be made, the club will first need to raise €50m – the quickest way to doing so being through player sales.”
The feeling within Porto is that Costa is the club’s most sellable asset and would command the most significant fee.
Alongside United, Tottenham and Chelsea also have the 23-year-old on their radar.
This development presents a crucial opportunity for United, who must be alive to the situation. Bringing in a new goalkeeper would instantly raise the team’s performance levels and Costa fits the bill perfectly.
It’s understandable that there are other key positions that need to be addressed in the summer including a striker and a central midfielder. Consideration should also be given to the man between the sticks.
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