Manchester City have identified Porto’s Diogo Costa as their main candidate to replace Ederson, according to Caught Offside.
The website claims that the Portuguese international is “top of their list” of options if they need a new No.1 goalkeeper.
Ederson was close to leaving the Etihad for Saudi Arabia in the last transfer window, but neither Al-Ittihad nor Al-Nassr were able to complete a deal.
Caught Offside, however, report that interest from the Middle East is still there and a transfer could be revived in the near future.
Guardiola has revealed why Ederson wasn’t sold in the summer
Speaking to reporters at the weekend, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed that the only reason why Ederson didn’t leave is because City didn’t receive a bid that matched their valuation:
“I’m going to tell the truth, the offer didn’t come. The real offer, because they make an offer, but to be for the keeper, for the team who won four Premier Leagues in a row, they have a value, you know, have a price. Otherwise, he cannot leave. This is the truth.”
How much would City have to pay for Costa?
It is believed that Porto are holding out for the keeper’s €75m (£63m) release clause, which is not a figure that the Cityzens are prepared to pay. That asking price has also put off the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in the past, who have also been credited with an interest.
If Porto decide to lower their valuation to around €45m (£37.7m) to €50m (£41.9m) then it is felt that a deal could be done. For now, Ederson is expected to stay put but the goalkeeper situation is one to keep an eye on over the coming months.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
