Chelsea are now in pole position to sign an “incredible” goalkeeper, with new manager Xabi Alonso personally an admirer.
John Obi Mikel suggested the Blues stand little chance of competing for the Premier League title with their current goalkeeper, following the 2-1 defeat against Arsenal last season.
“We can talk about William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, all the cheat codes and the set-pieces, but David Raya, my word, the saves that he makes… absolutely brilliant, absolutely superb goalkeeper and he’s only getting better. Week in, week out I watch David Raya and he’s getter better and better, better and better.
“You need a top, top goalkeeper to win titles and right now, Chelsea Football Club, we do not have a top goalkeeper to go out there and compete to win the Premier League. We do not have that.”
With the west Londoners going on to finish in 10th place, after a dismal end to the campaign, they have now set out to bring in a new option between the sticks, and FC Porto’s Diogo Costa is a target.
Chelsea leading the race to sign Diogo Costa
According to a report from TSF (via Sport Witness), Chelsea have now surged into pole position in the race to sign Costa, with Alonso personally keen.
The Portuguese shot-stopper has a £51m release clause in his Porto contract, which the Blues would be capable of paying.
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Football FanCast’s Verdict |
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Credibility |
Sanchez was dropped after the 2-1 loss against Arsenal, after making a costly error, with Filip Jorgensen starting the next match. As the Spaniard has been shaky at times, it would make sense to bring in a replacement. |
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Finances |
£51m would be expensive, but David Ornstein has suggested BlueCo are willing to sanction another summer of heavy spending. After finishing 10th last season, it is clear the Blues need to make changes to their squad. |
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Insight |
Costa is an experienced international goalkeeper, having collected 48 caps for a top nation in Portugal. Last season, he kept a whopping 21 clean sheets in 33 Liga Portugal matches. |
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Impact |
Chelsea may need to sell Sanchez if they decide to pursue a move for the Portugal star. Jorgensen has already asked to leave this summer, which means another goalkeeper may be required. |
Why Diogo Costa could be an upgrade on Robert Sanchez
Journalist Oupa Khalanga Baloyi is a big fan of the Porto shot-stopper, taking to X to praise him last year.
Since then, the Portuguese goalkeeper has remained Porto’s first choice between the sticks, and he recorded a save percentage of 80% last season, the highest in the Liga Portugal.
For reference, Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma ranked first in the Premier League with 72.9%, whereas Sanchez averaged just 67.6%.
The Porto star then went on to impress at the World Cup, despite his side’s relatively early exit, keeping a clean sheet and making six saves in a 0-0 draw against Colombia, before making three saves from inside the box in the 1-0 defeat against Spain.
Chelsea may need to bring in a top goalkeeper if they are going to start competing for the top honours once again, and Costa could be a fantastic option.
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