PSG target Diogo Costa, but FC Porto want to keep him | OneFootball

Last Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain won their second European title, beating Arsenal in a Champions League final full of suffering right to the end and only decided in the penalty shootout. Even so, the celebrations did not stop the first steps in planning for the 2026/27 season.

On Sunday morning, the prestigious L’Équipe was already reporting the interest of Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s sporting adviser, the Portuguese Luís Campos, in strengthening the squad under Spanish coach Luis Enrique, starting right away… with fellow countryman Diogo Costa.

A possibility that, however, does not worry André Villas-Boas. According to this Monday’s edition of O Jogo, the FC Porto president is determined to keep the goalkeeper at the club, considering him decisive to any sporting success for the team coached by Italian manager Francesco Farioli.

The Portugal international renewed his contract in December, extending it until June 2030, with the deal protected by a €60 million release clause, a figure the leader of the new national champions has no intention of waiving if any European giant tries to take him.

The captain himself feels good at the Estádio do Dragão, where he is idolised by the board, coaching staff, teammates and fans, and therefore would only consider a change of scenery for a project that guarantees him a similar role and the chance to keep fighting for titles in the biggest competitions.

Everything is in André Villas-Boas’ hands

FC Porto’s desire to keep Diogo Costa became clear around two weeks ago when, after winning the Primeira Liga, the dragons’ president, André Villas-Boas, publicly challenged him to wear the club’s number 2 shirt, in comments to journalists on the sidelines of a dinner with MPs linked to FC Porto at the Assembly of the Republic.

“Keep Diogo Costa? I hope so. In fact, I set him a challenge, which I hope he accepts: to wear FC Porto’s number 2 shirt next year. For us it would be a huge honour, and for FC Porto fans as well. And for that to happen, he will have to be at FC Porto next year,” he began by saying.

“He had a wonderful season. Bear in mind that FC Porto’s number 2 shirt is an important one, a shirt of winners, and of course it is tied to what happened with the passing of Jorge Costa. Because of all that emotional meaning, we would like him to wear the number 2 next year,” concluded the dragons’ president.

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