Chelsea have been keeping tabs on Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa, according to reports in the Portuguese media.
Newspaper Record claim that the Blues and Paris Saint-Germain had scouts in the stands on Friday when Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the World Cup round of 32.
They would have been impressed by what they saw, with Costa pulling off a string of saves to ensure his country made it through to the last 16.
The 26-year-old only signed a new contract with Porto back in December, but the agreement included a release clause that will tempt clubs to make a move for him after the World Cup, especially if he maintains his current level of form.
Costa is available for €60m (£51m)
In a somewhat unusual move, Porto confirmed the keeper’s buyout fee figure when they announced his new deal just before Christmas.
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The contract will keep Costa at the Estadio do Dragao until the summer of 2030, but he can be signed if a team is willing to pay €60m (£51m).
That is likely one of the main reasons why Chelsea and PSG have been monitoring the Portuguese international’s performances during his time in North America.
Will Chelsea sign a keeper this summer?
There have been suggestions that the Blues are happy with their current options. While Filip Jorgensen’s wish to leave Stamford Bridge will be granted, the return of Mike Penders from his loan spell at Strasbourg will give manager Xabi Alonso sufficient competition for places.
If the Belgian impresses during pre-season, there is a decent chance that he will leapfrog Robert Sanchez in the pecking order.
The recruitment team may be looking at Costa just in case Penders does not do enough to convince Alonso over the coming days and weeks. It is definitely a transfer story to keep a close eye on.