Barcelona and Manchester City are reportedly keen on signing 25-year-old Portuguese international goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
According to a report by Spanish publication Sport, Barcelona and Manchester City will have to pay a fee of around €45 million to get the deal done for Diogo Costa. The 25-year-old Portuguese international is highly rated across Europe, and he has proven himself to be a reliable performer for Porto and his country.
He could prove to be a useful acquisition for the two clubs. Barcelona could certainly use a quality backup goalkeeper, and Costa could compete with Marc-Andre Ter Stegen for the starting spot. So, he has emerged as a viable target for Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Manchester City need to find a quality alternative to Ederson Moraes as well. The 25-year-old Portuguese international is an excellent shot-stopper, and his distribution skills make him a good fit for Manchester City’s style of football. Apart from this ability to prevent goals, he will help the Premier League champions build from the back.
The opportunity to join a club like Barcelona or Manchester City will be quite attractive for Costa. It would be a major step up in his career. It will be interesting to see if the two clubs are willing to break the bank for him. €45 million might seem like a premium, but the goalkeeper has the quality to justify the investment.
Costa needs regular game time
Diogo Costa will hope to play regularly at this stage of his career. It remains to be seen whether Barcelona or Manchester City can provide him with game-time assurances. Costa will have two top-class goalkeepers to compete with at both clubs, and it will be difficult for him to start for Barcelona or Manchester City right away. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops.
The two clubs might need to provide him with gametime assurance to get the deal across the line. The goalkeeper is at the peak of his powers, and sitting on the bench at a big club will not benefit him. He will want to play regularly at the highest level and win major trophies.
