Exclusive: Manchester City identify €75m transfer target to replace star player

Manchester City are understood to be considering Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa as a potential replacement if their Brazilian shot-stopper Ederson leaves the club.

Sources indicate that Spanish coach Pep Guardiola highly appreciates Costa’s talents and would like to bring him to City if Ederson departs, with the 31-year-old attracting interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia during the summer.

Ederson ended up staying, but Man City are still monitoring potential options to replace him, with Costa highly regarded by Guardiola as an ideal possible replacement.

However, Porto have set Costa’s asking price as high as €75m, which is higher than what City would be willing to pay. CaughtOffside understands that City value Costa at closer to €45-50m, and this discrepancy suggests that any transfer negotiations could be challenging.

Costa himself is understood to have expressed an interest in moving to the Premier League if the opportunity presents itself, with the Portugal international perhaps understandably keen to challenge himself at a higher level before too long.

Costa has shone at Porto and for his country, and his current contract runs until 2027 with a release clause set at €75m. He is also on the radar of other top European clubs, including Barcelona, who see him as a potential candidate as a long-term successor to Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

What could Diogo Costa transfer mean for Ederson’s Man City future?

City boss Guardiola has recently spoken publicly about how glad he was to keep Ederson, and it remains the case that they’d ideally like to continue with him as their number one.

However, it’s felt that Saudi interest won’t necessarily go away, so MCFC have plans in place in case that happens, with Costa at the top of their list.

The 25-year-old has also attracted interest from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in the past, before those clubs ended up making other signings in goal.