According to Sport, Barcelona are interested in signing FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa as a long-term successor to Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but they face competition from Manchester City who also may need to replace their long-serving No. 1, Ederson Moraes, soon.
Barcelona are currently without Ter Stegen, with the Germany international out for the season due to a serious knee injury, and though they’ve brought former Arsenal and Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny out of retirement as a short-term solution, head coach Hansi Flick continues to name Inaki Pena ahead of the ex-Poland international. Pena has so far justified Flick’s trust, particularly in the El Clasico on Saturday, when his excellent saves helped the Catalans smash Real Madrid 0-4 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
As for City, Ederson was reportedly close to leaving for Saudi Arabia this summer, and there’s a good chance the interest in his services from Middle East emerges again at the end of the season, when his contract will have just one year left to run.
If there is indeed a race for Costa between these clubs come next summer, Manchester City should be in a far better position to get a deal done, given Barcelona’s financial struggles and Porto’s price of €45 million for the services of the 25-year-old. That will, however, likely depend on the outcome of the Premier League’s ongoing proceedings against their reigning champions, which should be known some time in early 2025.
Source link : https://www.soccernews.com/barcelona-and-man-city-to-compete-for-diogo-costa/377622/
Author : Veselin Trajkovic
Publish date : 2024-10-27 11:50:39
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.