Manchester City have reportedly been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa ahead of the summer transfer window.
After spending around £180m on four new players in January, the Citizens will continue their squad rebuild in the summer, with new sporting director Hugo Viana the man tasked with working alongside manager Pep Guardiola to build a team capable of competing on all fronts next season.
Man City are expected to strengthen in multiple areas, with reinforcement in the midfield and defensive departments - particularly at full-back - thought to be a priority.
However, the Citizens have also been tipped to recruit a new goalkeeper this summer amidst uncertainty over the long-term futures of both Ederson and Stefan Ortega, who will soon be entering the final year of their contracts at the club and have endured patchy runs of form when called upon by Guardiola this season.
Ederson was continuously linked with big-money exit to the Saudi Pro League last summer and those links have since resurfaced, while the Brazilian is also said to have been eyed up by Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho.
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Costa keen to join Man City this summer
Should Ederson depart this summer, Man City are understood to have identified Porto shot-stopper Costa as one of their primary targets, with a recent report stating that they have stepped up their interest in the Portugal international.
Costa, who is believed to possess a £63m release clause in his Porto contract which expires in June 2027, has also been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, with the former said to have identified him as a possible replacement for Andre Onana.
However, according to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, Costa is keen to join Man City and has given an initial green light to make the move to the Etihad Stadium this summer.
Costa is said to have 'accepted the project' proposed to him and talks between both parties remain ongoing, with the player's agent Jorge Mendes said to be 'pushing to seal the deal'.
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Costa to Man City on the cards?
It remains to be seen whether Man City will be able to strike a deal with Porto for Costa, as it has previously been reported that the Citizens value the goalkeeper around £25m below Porto's asking price.
Costa has spent his entire club career with Porto, joining their academy back in 2011 before making his professional debut in September 2019, and he has since established himself as an integral first-team player for club and country.
The 25-year-old has kept 82 clean sheets in 195 senior appearances for Porto across all competitions, including 15 shutouts in 30 Primeira Liga matches this season, putting him firmly in contention to win a second successive Golden Glove award.
Costa is not the only goalkeeper believed to be on Man City's radar, as they have also been credited with an interest in the likes of Benfica's Anatoliy Trubin, Juventus' Michele Di Gregorio, Espanyol's Joan Garcia and Lille's Lucas Chevalier.
Oliver Thomas
