Talks with Diogo Costa drag on, but Porto confident of new deal | OneFootball

FC Porto maintains its intention to reach an agreement with Diogo Costa for the renewal of his contract, which ends in June 2027, at the end of next season, according to this Wednesday’s edition of the newspaper O Jogo.

The management led by André Villas-Boas began negotiations with the Portuguese international’s agents in September, but so far, no agreement has been reached. Talks are ongoing and the expectation is that they will eventually result in an understanding.

The club’s directors want to extend the 26-year-old goalkeeper’s contract until 2030, recognizing the player’s growing importance both on the pitch – he is the most used footballer by Francesco Farioli this season – and off it, as demonstrated by his captain’s armband.

In this regard, the intention is to make the Portuguese-Swiss athlete the highest-paid player in the squad, a position currently held by Jakub Kiwior, who was signed from Arsenal in the last summer transfer window on loan, and who earns close to 3.5 million euros gross per year.

“It’s a great honor and I hope another 100 will come”

Much of FC Porto’s confidence in completing the renewal with Diogo Costa is based on the positive signals the player himself has given publicly, as happened last week when he expressed his satisfaction at reaching, in the emphatic 3-0 win over Nice, his 100th match at Estádio do Dragão.

“It’s a great source of pride for a Porto fan to have this number of games at Estádio do Dragão. Looking back, when I was a kid, I wasn’t sure what the future would hold, so it’s a huge honor and I hope another 100 will come,” the Portuguese international began by saying.

“It was always one of my dreams to play for FC Porto. Reaching this milestone of 100 games at the Dragão makes me very proud and happy, just as it does my family,” he added, in statements made to the club’s official platforms.

‘Sharks’ won’t let go

On the other hand, it’s important to consider that Diogo Costa is among the most sought-after goalkeepers in European football, being, for example, on Ruben Amorim’s radar, who is not satisfied with the options available at Manchester United, despite the recent signing of Senne Lammens from Antwerp for around 21 million euros.

Chelsea has been closely monitoring the progress of the goalkeeper, who was born in Rothrist, Switzerland, as has Bayern Munich, where the departure of Manuel Neuer (who will turn 40 in March 2026) points to an imminent retirement.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.