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Chelsea Working On Hijacking Manchester United £64.5million Target

Published

2 years ago

June 25, 2023

Chelsea Working On Hijacking Manchester United £64.5million Target

Chelsea is actively searching for a new goalkeeper this summer and has set its sights on Manchester United target, Porto’s Diogo Costa, as reported by Portuguese sources.

The London-based club has been in the market for a starting goalkeeper due to concerns surrounding the performances of both Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy, with the latter on the verge of a move to Saudi Arabia.

Initially, it was speculated that Chelsea’s new manager, Mauricio Pochettino was content with retaining Kepa and allocating transfer funds to reinforce other areas of the squad.

However, according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Chelsea has expressed concrete interest in Costa and is exploring ways to secure a deal.

Porto has taken a firm stance on Costa’s potential departure, insisting that his release clause of €75 million (£64.5m) must be paid in full. If the transfer were to go through at that price, Costa would become the second-most expensive goalkeeper in history, behind Kepa.

Manchester United has also shown interest in the talented Costa, extensively scouting him. Nevertheless, Porto’s resolute stance has proven to be a significant obstacle for both English clubs.

Diogo Costa

While Chelsea is willing to pay the £64.5 million fee, they are hopeful of negotiating with Porto to accept the payment in three instalments of €25 million (£21.5m) each.

The first instalment would be paid immediately, with the remaining two to be settled in subsequent transfer windows.

In a similar fashion, Chelsea employed a structured payment approach with Benfica during the January transfer window.

They agreed to a fee that surpassed Enzo Fernandez’s release clause and were allowed to pay it in six instalments, with the initial payment amounting to approximately £30 million.

Chelsea’s financial responsibility under the Financial Fair Play regulations is a key consideration, preventing them from making a substantial upfront payment for Costa.

However, it remains to be seen whether Porto will be amenable to their proposed structured offer.

Last summer, Porto rejected Paris Saint-Germain’s attempt to negotiate a similar deal for Vitinha and insisted on receiving the full fee upfront. Therefore, Chelsea is aware of the need to navigate Porto’s stance strategically.

Apart from Diogo Costa, Chelsea has been linked with other goalkeeper targets, including David Raya from Brentford, who is valued at £40 million despite having just a year remaining on his contract, and Andre Onana from Inter.

In the upcoming days and weeks, Chelsea is expected to secure significant funds through player sales. As many as five players, including Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Hakim Ziyech, could potentially join Saudi Arabian clubs.

Additionally, Mateo Kovacic is set to join Manchester City, while Arsenal has agreed on a £65 million deal for Kai Havertz.

As negotiations continue, Chelsea is determined to secure a talented goalkeeper to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season, keeping in mind the financial parameters they must operate within.

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