Manchester United have been blessed over the years with world-class goalkeepers, from Alex Stepney, Edwin Van Der Sar, Peter Schmeichel to current number one David de Gea, who has been with the club since 2011.
However, time passes as does football and David de Gea’s position as United’s number one under new manager Erik ten Hag has come under scrutiny. Ten Hag wants United to play a more progressive game where attacks start from the goalkeeper, which means distribution is critical, something the Spaniard has always struggled with.
With De Gea’s contract also expiring at the end of the season (although a one-year extension may be triggered), it may be time for United and Ten Hag to look for the next starter for the thankless task of being the next number one United.
Without a doubt, a name that occupies a prominent place, if not the first on the list, is that of the young FC Porto star, Diogo Costa, signed by the club in recent weeks.
Costa is 23 years old and 6 feet 4 inches tall. Despite his young age for a goalkeeper, who generally tends to peak in his late 20s or early 30s, he has plenty of experience both for Porto’s first team (45 applications) and now for his national team. Portugal (7 applications). A first choice for club and country at such a young age is an impressive feat, certainly for a ‘goalkeeper’.
Now that modern goaltenders are expected to be just as good in the outfield as they are at traditional shot stopping, Costa is no slouch in this department. He is in the top percentiles for passes attempted and passes completed excluding goal kicks (stats courtesy of FBref.com), highlighting his ability to select a teammate, recycle the ball and build attacks.
It is also interesting that he is again in the highest percentiles across Europe in defensive actions outside the penalty area and in the average distance away from goal that these actions represent. This shows that he is comfortable playing the modern ‘sweeping goalkeeper’ role, which is so integral to a team playing front foot in modern football as the back line must remain high but be safe in the knowledge that the goalkeeper he’ll be there to sweep long balls over or through the gaps. Additionally, he is equally comfortable collecting crossovers, again ranking relatively high on the list for these stats, displaying a good decision-making range.
By comparison, David de Gea is in the bottom percentile of all these stats, highlighting the stark differences between their playing styles. Where De Gea excels is in shot stopping, and this is a stat that the young Portuguese follows. However, the Porto player is building a reputation for his impressive reflex saves, although he still has a long way to go before surpassing De Gea in this metric.
Statistics are all very well, however, but they mean little when not put in the context of tangible achievements.
As mentioned above, Costa is the first choice for Portuguese powerhouse FC Porto and is now the first choice international goalkeeper for Portugal. To have this registered just at his age would be impressive, however he was an integral part of Porto winning the league and cup double last season, being voted best goalkeeper in the league in the process.
He has also had international success with the Portuguese under-17s and under-19s, winning the European Championship both times. Having usurped Rio Patricio as the national goalkeeper, Costa has put in a number of excellent performances and cemented his place in the national setup.
With achievements already backing up the statistics, it is clear that this young player has sublime talent and that his time through the Porto ranks will definitely instill a winning mentality. Reports have also highlighted a possible £60m release clause in his contract, meaning this could be a very attractive option for United and one they are actively seeking.
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