Manchester United are looking to bring in a new goalkeeper at the end of the season with David De Gea struggling to adapt to Erik ten Hag’s system.
According to a report from the Athletic, 23-year-old Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa is being eyed as a replacement for the Spanish international.
De Gea has been an excellent shot-stopper for Manchester United since he joined the club under Sir Alex Ferguson. However, his sub-par distribution with the ball has been a concern for new manager Ten Hag who prefers a keeper that can play out of the back.
The report from Athletic adds that the Spanish international is currently on wages of around £375,000 a week and Ten Hag expects a player on such wages to be compatible with his philosophy and system.
Costa has been highly impressive for Porto the season and his distribution is considerably better than the Manchester United star. The young shot-stopper has saved three penalties in the UEFA Champions League this season and his performances have caught the attention of the top European clubs.
Apart from Costa, Spanish international Unai Simon is on Manchester United’s radar as well.
Porto's Diogo Costa is the first goalkeeper on record to save three penalties in a single Champions League campaign (2003-04 onwards).#UCL
[@OptaJoe] pic.twitter.com/MiZF2tzTJI
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) October 26, 2022
It will be interesting to see if the Red Devils manage to agree on a deal with Porto for the 23-year-old shot-stopper in the coming months. The player has a €60 million release clause in his current contract.
Manchester United staff have watched the Porto ace in action this season and the club’s chief goalkeeping scout Tony Coton has been scouring Europe for a player who can sort out the club’s goalkeeping situation for the foreseeable future. Bringing in a quality goalkeeper seems to be Ten Hag’s primary target for now.