Man Utd identify familiar face as Onana replacement
Robin Bairner
- 1 Nov 2023 08:54 GMT
- 3 min read
Manchester United are running out of patience with Andre Onana and are stepping up their search for his successor, according to a report from Portugal.
Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa was on Man Utd’s radar last season and is once again being sounded out as an option for the Old Trafford club, who have become concerned with Onana’s performances since he arrived from Inter Milan for €50m in the summer.
Indeed, A Bola reports that there was a scout from the Old Trafford club present during Sunday’s Primeira Liga match against Vizela, during which Costa kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 victory, albeit facing only one shot on target.
MORE: Ten Hag punishes Man Utd derby flops FOUR times
Costa was extensively linked with Man Utd last season after a strong campaign with Porto, and into the summer he was still being touted as an option.
According to the Portuguese source, Porto will only accept a bid for the value of the release clause of the 24-year-old goalkeeper, who is under contract until 2027. This would mean Man Utd splashing out another €75 million on the keeper.
Diogo Costa to Man Utd: The verdict
Man Utd are unlikely to consider this a serious possibility at this juncture.
Onana, 27, cost a good deal of the club’s summer budget and for the Red Devils to buy another lavish shot-stopper would only serve to underline their mismanagement in the transfer window.
Moreover, the Cameroon keeper has only just started to come good, with a penalty save against Copenhagen and an excellent stop to deny Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in the derby potentially acting as turning points in his young career at Old Trafford.
United were battling Financial Fair Play (FFP) in the summer, which prevented them landing any big signings late in the window, so it also seems improbable that they will find this kind of money to sign in a position that is not yet considered to be a priority.
A new goalkeeper, however, may arrive via a loan deal as short-term cover for Onana while he is at the Africa Cup of Nations, but that will not be Diogo Costa.
