Man Utd learn steep £65m asking price for De Gea replacement who starred at World Cup

Reports have claimed that Porto will only consider letting Manchester United target Diogo Costa leave if his release clause is met.

It’s no secret that Man Utd are eyeing up several goalkeeper targets in a bid to replace David De Gea. Porto shot-stopper Costa has popped up on their radar, but he won’t come cheap.

While Man Utd do have the option of extending De Gea’s contract by a further season, it is not yet clear if the club will exercise this option.

With De Gea now being 32 years old and one of the biggest earners at the club, Erik ten Hag seems keen on refreshing his goalkeeping options.

Porto’s Costa has been one of the goalkeepers that United have been eyeing up. The 23-year-old is highly rated in Portugal but didn’t have the best World Cup tournament.

Costa started in all five of Portugal’s World Cup games and conceded six goals in total. His World Cup performance perhaps doesn’t do him justice for how good he actually is though.

Porto have only conceded nine league goals this season and Costa has kept six clean sheets in 13 appearances. Along with Man Utd, several other Premier League clubs are also keeping tabs on him including Chelsea.

A report from Correio da Manha has claimed that Porto are reluctant to let Costa leave and they would only consider selling him if his release clause was met.

His release clause currently stands at £65million and so Man United would have to pay a huge sum to guarantee his signature.

De Gea’s Man Utd future

It now looks more than likely that De Gea will leave Old Trafford come the end of the season, despite De Gea himself wanting to stay at the club.

Ten Hag has praised De Gea for improving upon his distribution and all-around game, but it still seems as if he is keen on brining in a new shot-stopper.

“So, everyone has their own opinion and their own philosophy,” said Ten Hag in November to the official club website.

“For me, for a goalkeeper, you have to protect the goal and make sure you don’t concede goals. In that fact, he is magnificent.

“On the feet, for me, he has the capabilities as well. I think when you see this season, he is progressing from game to game on that part. And that has to do not only with the keeper.

“It has also to do with the ones in front, how you give the keeper the options to bring passes in, because when they don’t run free, or in the wrong moments, or in the wrong positions, then he doesn’t have the options to pass around.

“But I am convinced he can do it and I think the games so far prove that. I think he will improve from game to game on that part.”

Ten Hag’s side have conceded 20 goals in the Premier League this season which is more than every other top-six side, other than Tottenham.

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