We have seen dozens of reports over the past few months that Chelsea are chasing a new number one goalkeeper. They have been linked to several targets and some reports have suggested that they will look in house for a solution to their keeper problems.
That would involve brining Djordje Petrovic back from Strasbourg where he is having a fine season and taking a closer look at young loanee Mike Penders this summer. These moves make the most sense from a financial perspective since the club has already spent the money on these two players but another option has emerged according to TeamTalk.
The news outlet reports that Chelsea are back in for Porto keeper Diogo Costa and will pursue him this summer. Chelsea were tracking Costa last summer but could not agree to terms and instead brought in Filip Jorgensen from Villareal. Jorgensen has struggled at times this season and has failed to win the number one job over Robert Sanchez who has made far too many mistakes this season.
TeamTalk reports that Costa could be available for around £64.5 million but could be had for a tad cheaper because his contract is up in 2027. This would be a great bit of business as Costa is Portugal’s number one and far more accomplished than any of the other keepers on Chelsea’s books.
Costa has won several trophies in Portugal including the Primeira Liga twice and was named Primeira Liga Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He has loads of experience in the Champions League and Europa League and is still just 25 years old, which is young for a keeper that is already in the prime of his career.
The Portuguese stopper is excellent in distribution having completed 82% of his passes according to FotMob and has 169 accurate long balls this season, 14 more than Petrovic and 50 more than Sanchez. He is very much the modern keeper that Enzo Maresca is searching for and would be a bargain if that asking price of £64.5 million holds true as that is his release clause.
If Chelsea have to decide between an elite striker and a goalkeeper then we would suggest going for the forward as they have solid options at keeper on the books already. But if they are opting for a cheaper option at forward like Liam Delap then spending £50-60 million on Costa would be money well spent. World class keepers don’t become available very often and Chelsea have to jump on the chance if it comes around.