Manchester City receive major transfer boost as €75 million goalkeeper open to Etihad Stadium switch | OneFootball

Manchester City officials have received a significant boost in their hopes of signing a primary target to possibly replace Ederson between the posts this summer.

The future of the Brazilian remains uncertain despite featuring for Manchester City at the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, largely following on from interest in his services last summer.

After receiving the green light from Manchester City over the prospect of a move to Saudi Arabia, it was left in the hands of clubs in the Middle-East to meet the £50 million valuation in order to secure his signature.

Having failed to strike an agreement with two suitors during the last market, it was agreed that Ederson would remain at the club for another season. However, speculation over whether a move to the Saudi Pro League would appeal once more has emerged.

Subsequently, Manchester City officials are believed to have been identifying possible replacements to prepare for the possibility of an Ederson exit, and have now received some strong encouragement from one of their prospective targets.

That is according to the information of Portuguese newspaper A Bola, who report that Portugal’s Diogo Costa believes it is now time to ’embrace a new challenge’ and as such is expected to leave FC Porto in the ongoing summer transfer window.

In the Premier League, it is claimed that both City and Manchester United remain ‘very interested’ in the Portuguese international, who is understood to have a release clause of €75 million but could leave his current side for around €60 million.

From City’s side, it is reported that they are expected to lose Ederson amid offers from Saudi Arabia, while Ruben Amorim does not seem to have much confidence in Andre Onana and has already asked United officials for an ‘experienced’ goalkeeper with ‘excellent footwork’.

It is further detailed that Diogo Costa holds a desire to pursue his career elsewhere and has already communicated to his ‘closest circle’ of his ‘strong desire’ to try another league in Europe, preferably England’s top-flight.

Aside from the idea of signing Costa from Porto this summer, Manchester City’s options for the lead goalkeeping position are relatively slim, with only some tenuous links to Lille’s Lucas Chevalier earlier in the market.

Pep Guardiola’s back-up choice goalkeeper Stefan Ortega Moreno has held long-standing ambitions of becoming the new mainstay, although it would remain to be seen whether the German international has convinced coaches that he is ready for such a role.

Hugo Viana and City have already made moves in the goalkeeping market this summer, having allowed Scott Carson to leave his role as third choice following the expiry of his contract, replaced by Chelsea’s Marcus Bettinelli for a ‘nominal’ fee.