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

Manchester City are believed to be considering Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa as a potential replacement if Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson leaves the club.

Sources indicate that Spanish coach Pep Guardiola highly values ​​Costa’s talents and is keen to bring him to City if Ederson leaves, with the 31-year-old attracting interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia over the summer.

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

However, Porto have set Costa’s asking price at €75 million, which is higher than what City would be willing to pay. Caught offside understands that City value Costa at between €45 and €50 million, and this discrepancy suggests that any transfer negotiations could be challenging.

It is believed that Costa himself has expressed an interest in moving to the Premier League if the opportunity arises, with the Portugal international perhaps understandably keen to challenge himself at a higher level in the short term.

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

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

City boss Guardiola recently spoke publicly about how happy he was to keep Ederson, and it remains the case that they will ideally want to continue him as their number one.

However, it is believed that Saudi interest will not necessarily disappear, 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 eventually made other signings in goal.