Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has now identified a £62m star as his top summer target in a key position, and contact has already been made to discuss a deal, according to a report.
Man City planning summer rebuild
Man City spent big in the January transfer window, with the likes of Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico Gonzalez arriving at the Etihad Stadium, but Guardiola may feel some more additions are needed if his side are to bridge the gap to Liverpool.
The Reds took a huge step towards winning the Premier League title with a 2-0 victory on Sunday, opening up an 11-point gap on Arsenal, and they now find themselves 20 points clear of City, indicating a summer rebuild is needed at the Etihad Stadium.
There could be a changing of the guard, with Kevin De Bruyne close to agreeing a move to San Diego FC, while Kyle Walker is in line to join AC Milan on a permanent basis, and there has also been speculation about Ederson’s future.
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According to a report from Foot Mercato, Guardiola has now identified their top target to replace Ederson, namely FC Porto’s Diogo Costa, with bringing in a new goalkeeper deemed to be a priority.
Costa is City’s first-choice target for the summer, and all the indications point towards him making a move to England this summer, having been sounded out by several top clubs from the Premier League.
The reigning Premier League champions are seemingly among the main potential suitors, having already made contact to discuss a deal.
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Man City’s upcoming Premier League fixtures |
Date |
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Tottenham Hotspur (a) |
February 26th |
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Nottingham Forest (a) |
March 8th |
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Brighton & Hove Albion (h) |
March 15th |
|
Leicester City (h) |
April 2nd |
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Manchester United (a) |
April 5th |
Costa could be Europe’s “most hidden secret”
The Portugal international, who has a release clause of €75m (£62m), starred for his national side at Euro 2024, saving three penalties in a penalty shootout victory against Slovenia in the round of 16, and he received high praise for his performance from teammate Diogo Dalot.
“I think Portugal’s secret is Diogo Costa. Diogo Costa is the most hidden secret in European football and today he showed up.
“Today I think he reached a completely different level. The one-on-one situation was incredible. Then he had the focus to make three consecutive saves. We have to be very proud of him.”
There are also signs the 25-year-old could be a good fit in a Guardiola system, given his willingness to get on the ball, ranking in the 95th percentile for touches per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
As such, it is promising news that Man City have set out to sign Costa in the summer, but it would of course be sad to see Ederson move on, given the influential role the Brazilian has played in City’s era of dominance.
