Why does Manchester United want Diogo Costa to replace David De Gea?

Manchester United are keeping an eye on Porto keeper Diogo Costa for next summer. They currently have David De Gea as their number one, who has inherited the place from the likes of Alex Stepney, Edwin Van Der Sar and Peter Schmeichel before him. 

But under Erik Ten Hag, De Gea’s place has come under threat since he isn’t an effective distributor of the ball. The Dutchman wants his team to start the attacks from the goalkeeper, and with De Gea lacking in the important distribution metrics, that isn’t possible right now. 

Diogo Costa the next big goalkeeper for Manchester United?  

Porto’s 23-year-old goalkeeper has earned quite a reputation for himself as a modern goalkeeper. This is because he is among the top percentile in Europe for passes attempted and passes completed excluding goal kicks. 

He is not only the number one for his club, but also the Portugal national team. Costa’s effectiveness in the sweeper keeper role is also highlighted by the regularity with which he carries out defensive actions outside the penalty area. 

David De Gea’s inability to perform the same role has seen him fall out of favour under Luis Enrique. And now, he is seemingly on his way out of Manchester United as well. The Spaniard’s deal runs out at the end of the season, but there is an option for a further year. 

Diogo Costa has a release clause worth £60 million in his current contract, which could be activated by Manchester United next summer.