Not one, but two editions of Chelsea FC Transfer Talk on this Thursday. For part one, covering Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez, go to this link. Let’s get the Chelsea transfer rumor party started with FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
The west London club are reportedly kicking the tires on a €60m bid for the 26-year-old shotstopper.
That’s according to Portugese outlet Record. Sometimes, a new manager means a new first choice in between the sticks, and Xabi Alonso is expected to at least assess the options available in the transfer market for a potential replacement goaltender given how this past season went at the position group.
It didn’t go well, as the current No. 1, Robert Sánchez, had far from his best campaign, and the #2, FIlip Jorgensen, didn’t fare much better either.
Costa is the #1 for the Portugal national team, who are among the leading contenders to win the World Cup this summer. However, they got off to an unimpressive start, drawing 1-1 with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Goalkeeping was a huge reason why Chelsea finished 10th this past season.
And with a mid-table finish like that, there is a whole lot to work on, at all positions.
At wing back, the Blues could be looking to sign Andrea Cambiaso from Juventus, according to Gazzetta. The Old Lady are reportedly looking to get €40 million in return for the Italian international, who also has the ability to play full back.
According to the report, Chelsea are hoping to get the 26-year-old, in a swap deal, with out-of-favor forward Nicolas Jackson going the other way.
The Senegal striker has been linked with a move away from Chelsea for awhile, with Manchester City the last club that he was strongly linked to.
He spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, but with five years still left to run on his Chelsea contract (he signed for a whopping eight years in 2023), it is time to find a new club for him.
He hasn’t lived up to the expectations that they had for him when he was signed from Villarreal.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.