Barcelona will reportedly turn to 22-year-old Portuguese defender Goncalo Costa if they fail to sign Marcos Alonso from Chelsea this summer.
According to a report by Portuguese publication A Bola, Goncalo Costa is the subject of interest from Barcelona over a possible Bosman move in the summer transfer window. The 22-year-old defender will officially become a free agent when his contract with Sporting CP runs out in less than two weeks.
Goncalo Costa joined Sporting CP’s famed academy as an eight-year-old in 2008, and he rapidly rose through the ranks at the Portuguese club. But the player never established a foothold in the first-team setup at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, honing his skills for the club’s reserve side instead.
The 22-year-old enjoyed a solid 2021/22 season, turning out 23 times for Sporting CP’s reserve side, chipping in with three goals. But Costa is now a free agent after leaving the Verde e brancos as a free agent in the summer transfer window. And the Portuguese defender’s next destination could be Barcelona.
Barcelona will delve into the market for a left-back in the summer transfer window, as Jordi Alba is approaching the final phase of his glittering career. While the veteran Spanish defender remains the undisputed first-choice left-back for the Blaugrana, he enjoys that status primarily because he does not have a competitor in the first-team squad.
14 capítulos..
Obrigado por tudo ?? @Sporting_CP pic.twitter.com/kTXBkPdTnc
— Costa (@goncalocosta45) June 17, 2022
While Alejandro Balde is a highly promising left-back, he is yet to establish a foothold in the first-team setup. And the youngster is courting interest from Chelsea this summer, prompting Barcelona to consider scouring the market for a left-back ahead of the 2022/23 season.
To that end, Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso has emerged as the priority target for Barcelona. But the Catalan giants are keeping their options open, with several other candidates also on their wishlist. One such player is Goncalo Costa, although the 22-year-old is a surprise target.
The 22-year-old barely has any experience at the topmost level and might not be able to push Alba to become Barcelona’s first-choice left-back. But the Catalan giants rate the Portuguese defender highly after closely monitoring his progress for years. Costa’s availability as a free agent also makes him an appealing target, and it will be interesting to see if he joins Barcelona this summer.
